That one’s for the John. The sooner we flush Super Bowl Suxty out of our collective eyeballs, the better. Still, you win or you learn, right?
“Coach mentioned that as well, just how young of a team that we are,” Broncos punter Jeremy Crawshaw told me as we talked at his locker stall after the AFC championship. “So I think these guys, we kind of spoke about it, how (that learning is) going to fuel our off-season to be better for next year. I think everyone’s kind of on-board with that.”
Even the smartest guy in the room has to realize it ain’t rocket science. The last two NFL champions had at least three things in common: 1.) An amazing defense; 2.) a decently mobile quarterback who won’t make game-killing mistakes; 3.) a reliable No. 1 tailback who can soften up the opposition.
Sean Payton‘s already ticked the first two boxes. Why let your ego get in the way of the third?
Seattle QB Sam Darnold’s postseason completion percentage was a Bo Nix-like 61.5% this winter. His touchdown-to-interception radio was five-to-zip. Running back Kenneth Walker III did the heavy lifting in the Divisional rout of San Francisco (116 yards rushing) and in that Super Bowl stomping of New England (135 yards rushing).
Eagles QB Jalen Hurts (5-to-1 TD/pick ratio in the ’24-25 playoffs) could lean on Saquon Barkley, who had at least 18 touches and at least 97 yards from scrimmage in each of Philly’s four playoff wins a year ago.
While the Seahawks were pounding New England, 29-13, New York Jets running back Breece Hall, who’s just 24 years old and coming off a season of 1,415 scrimmage yards for an absolute dumpster fire of an offense, posted this to Xwitter:
“Hope I get to experience football on this stage. Everything on the line. I’ll get there one day. I know it…”
Oh, my goodness. Ease his pain, George Paton. Free the man. The Broncos need a 1A back to pair with RJ Harvey’s 1B. A 1A who’ll actually be healthy in December and January. A bell cow to lean on when the next snow squall hits.
The Seahawks are just the Broncos with a better RB room, a better WR room, and no self-delusions as to who they really are offensively.
Seattle sacked Pats QB Drake Maye six times. Seahawks kicker Jason Myers drained a Super Bowl-record five field goals. The teams combined for 15 punts. Super Bowl 60 even felt like a Broncos game, other than the fact Seattle led 12-0 at the end of the third quarter instead of trailing. And that Seahawks coach Mike MacDonald elected to kick a field goal on fourth and short at the New England 23 to go up 9-0 just before halftime. When your defense can turn any pocket into a box of Kleenex, why get cute?
An offense led by Jarrett Stidham would’ve been a disaster against that Seattle front. But one led by a healthy Nix would’ve made for a fair fight. Would Bo have been running for his life? Sure. But not the way Maye had to. Pro Football Focus ranked the Patriots’ offensive line 11th in the NFL. Pro Football Network said New England’s hogmolies were 12th-best. PFF ranked the Broncos’ OL No. 1. PFN had them at No. 4. Per SumerSports.com, the Patriots ranked 24th during the regular season in sack rate allowed (7.83%). The Broncos were first in the league (3.42%).
Nix basically practiced against the Seahawks’ pass rush for months at a time. Part of No. 10’s superpower isn’t just avoiding outside linebackers. It’s his ability to keep the Broncos out of second-downs- or third-downs-and-forevers.
I mean, yeah, the Patriots earned the right to be there. They beat Houston in the snow at home. They beat the Broncos in a blizzard at Empower, becoming the first New England bunch to ever win a postseason game here. The Pats made some of their own luck. Some. But I’ll go to my grave assured that if Nix plays two weeks ago, and Stiddy doesn’t, the Broncos would’ve found a way. The way they almost always found a way.
Sunday reminded us that runs to the outside zone never get old in the Big Game. Especially if you’ve got the kind of offensive line that can pull it off. Payton’s already got the latter in-house. He just needs a healthy hammer to hand off to.
J.K. Dobbins, the Broncos’ offensive MVP for the season’s opening two months, is part workhorse, part tax auditor. His peak season only lasts about 11 or 12 weeks a year.
“What does this running back room need?” I asked Dobbins during clean-out day last month.
“What do we need …” Dobbins mused. “I mean, you tell me what you think we need.”
“A healthy you would be good,” I replied.
“I think so, too.”
“A big back would be good,” I continued.
“Big back?” Dobbins countered, musing again. “I think I could do both, though. Don’t you think that?”
“Well, I don’t know …”
“You can doubt me a little bit,” he laughed. “You can tell me, ‘Nah, I don’t think so.’ You’d be like, ‘Ah, you’d get hurt.’”
Nah. Don’t think so.
You might get hurt, dude.
Barkley hasn’t played in fewer than 14 regular-season games since 2021. Walker has appeared in at least 12 regular-season games in every season since 2022. Hall has averaged 16.3 games over the last three seasons. Dobbins has averaged eight games per season since 2022. He’s played in more than 13 regular-season games just once — all the way back in 2020, his rookie year.
If it’s about finishing drives as well as finishing seasons, Hall holds his own there, too. Since 2023, he’s averaged 3.0 yards per touch inside the opponents’ 19-yard line while accounting for 12 touchdowns either running or receiving. Dobbins over the last three seasons averaged 3.25 yards per inside-the-red-zone touch with 12 scores.
The last two NFL champs have led with incredible defenses, suffocated elite AFC passers, then ran out the clock. The Broncos are on the right track. They just need more beef in the boxcar.
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