The Denver Broncos play the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 14. Ahead of that, Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph spoke to the media. He talked about preparing a game plan against an offense. Basically, it’s a cat-and-mouse game every defensive call, every down. Joseph went long explaining this concept.
Vance Joseph on Preparing a Gameplan
He said, “It’s a cat and mouse game. It’s a matchup game also. Getting my guy on one of their guys who can’t block our guy. It’s a cat-and-mouse game that way. Each week we have different structures to kind of give us an advantage with the rush and with the coverage. … It’s a premium to have corners and rushers with our defense and how we play. If we can’t rush and cover, we can’t play this defense, so drafting one every year for me is always premium.”
It all starts with a 40-second play clock. The offensive play-caller sends in the play to the quarterback, then the latter gets to the line and checks the defense. The clock is dwindling while the cat and mouse game ensues. The quarterback sees where the blue-chip talent on the defensive line is and attempts to account for it pre-snap. But he won’t know if he’s right until post-snap.
For example, against the Broncos’ defensive line, in nickel defense, the offense is guessing if a blitz is coming based on the defensive alignment (film study). But it can be a bluff. That said, the quarterback must decide what to do with the ball in three seconds or less. As you can see, the most physical sport in the world is mostly mental. With physical attributes highlighted only if the right split-second decision is made.
Not only does the alignment matter, the personnel does as well. Because the Broncos, in nickel defense, have EDGEs Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper to pair with interior defensive linemen Zach Allen and John Franklin-Meyers, offensive lines have to have their head on a swivel. Lines will likely double-team Bonitto, so in 11 personnel, that’ll make it three vs. three along the rest of the line.
That said, the running back has to step up in the pocket to pass protect the interior rush from Allen. Bonitto has 10.5 sacks, Cooper has seven and a half sacks, and Allen has six sacks (with a league-high 31 QB hits). As you can see, this is why the Broncos’ defense is so good. That’s just one example of the cat and mouse game, with the Broncos’ nickel defense vs. the offense’s 11 personnel.
This week, though, the Broncos’ defense, No. 2 in PFSN’s Defense Impact Score, is up against a Raiders offense ranking No. 30 in PFSN’s Offense Impact Score. The above is the latter’s problem to figure out in Week 14.