This is about traits, not stats.
The Broncos defense is not the 2015 Orange Rush. Let’s get that straight.
“I love the way they are playing. I am proud of them. They are off to a great start,” said former All-Pro cornerback Chris Harris Jr. “But avoid comparisons with us until we get through the season.”
Harris is right. It is not fair to the 2024 Broncos. The 2015 group was vicious, proving a perfect antidote to the finesse image that saddled the franchise after a humiliating Super Bowl 48 loss. Those defenders played with confidence and excess, stealing chains and crushing dreams, melding with the masterful coaching of coordinator Wade Phillips.
“I don’t think people realized how good we were at the time, but I did. For me, it is a top-10 defense of all time,” said Phillips from his home in Houston on Thursday. “It may have been one of the greatest playoff runs ever.”
The current Broncos symbolize a resurgent team, awakening echoes of their bloody knuckles past when they punched first, celebrated second and asked questions later.
After seven straight losing seasons, the Broncos defense boasts numbers through seven weeks that demand attention. It leads the league in pressures, ranking second in sacks (28) and third in overall defense. Coordinator Vance Joseph inspires loyalty not seen since his mentor Phillips. Both coach with humility and accept responsibility for mistakes, allowing players to operate with freedom. Want to know how much they appreciate this and care? Stop the film and watch how many players are around the ball then and now.
“It is something you don’t normally get, but I see that with Vance’s group. It’s a want-to thing,” Phillips said. “It’s hard to teach that. You can tell how much pride they have in what they are doing.”
The Broncos’ most notable improvement has come up front with the additions of Malcolm Roach and John Franklin-Myers, who have thrown down spikes and punctured tires on runners. Through seven games last season, Denver allowed a league-worst 167.3 yards per game on the ground. That number has shrunk to 111.7 this season, ranking 10th. They have delivered 10 takeaways.
“The good thing about this defense, something I love, is that everyone eats. You don’t know whose day it is going to be,” said reigning AFC Defensive Player of the Week Cody Barton. “Everyone makes plays and everyone has the chance to eat. It’s a lot of fun.”
The 2015 defense made life miserable for opponents. Forget eat, this group devoured opponents, leaving knockouts and concussions in their wake. With apologies to the 1977 Orange Crush, no one stacks up against them.
There were three potential Hall of Famers — DeMarcus Ware is in, Von Miller will join him, and Aqib Talib has a case — menacing disruptors (Malik Jackson and Derek Wolfe), athletic linebackers (Danny Trevathan and Brandon Marshall) and a No Fly Zone secondary that has forever set the standard. The 2015 Broncos began the season 7-0, and the defense ranked first in yards per game (261.1) and points per game (16.0), and fourth against the run (89.3). The current Broncos are 4-3 and allow 282.4 yards (third) and 15.1 points (third).
And after they maul the Panthers — Carolina quarterback Bryce Young is 0-9 on the road — the whispers about the defensive numbers will grow louder. The ’24 group does not sniff the ’15 unit’s talent. It features one first-rounder (star cornerback Pat Surtain II) and a future All-Pro (defensive end Zach Allen), fueled instead by players who were overlooked and underappreciated.
But like the 2015 defense, the chemistry is palpable. Players are driven to prove critics wrong and not let their teammates down.
“We want to be good. We have a lot of guys, including young guys, who want to make a name for themselves. We give effort. We run to the ball,” Roach said. “At the end of the day, VJ is calling great plays and we are playing for each other.”
For this Denver defense to rank as one of the franchise’s best, it will have to move up in weight class. Through no fault of their own, the Broncos have faced forgettable quarterbacks, their most impressive wins over Tampa Bay’s Baker Mayfield and a washed Aaron Rodgers.
In their first seven weeks, the 2015 Broncos logged wins against Joe Flacco, Alex Smith, Matthew Stafford, Derek Carr and prime Rodgers. By season’s end, the Broncos went 7-0 against potential Hall of Famers (Tom Brady twice, Philip Rivers twice, Rodgers, Ben Roethlisberger and Stafford) and left MVP Cam Newton in the fetal position breathing through his nose during Super Bowl 50.
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Want to start a barstool debate on where the ’24 group ranks? The Broncos have to show up and show out against Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, Kirk Cousins and Joe Burrow.
“Sooner or later you have to go against a great offense and a great quarterback and make a statement,” Phillips said. “They will get that chance. I am pulling for my friends VJ and (linebackers coach Greg) Manusky. I really like the way they are playing. I like how aggressive they are. What I loved about the (’15 defense) is that it didn’t matter who we played.”
But this isn’t about what has happened or what might, but how it feels. And everything about this 2024 defense feels right.
“If you want to be talked about among the best, you have to be consistent and do it with more on the line against top quarterbacks. There’s no tricking them,” Harris said. “But I love their intensity and how VJ is creating pressure. You can definitely say right now that they have potential to do something special.”
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