The Denver Broncos’ desire to keep the bats rolling will face a major obstacle on Sunday in the form of a stout defense from the Cleveland Browns.
The Broncos, who are in the playoff race, face the No. 1 defense.
1 in the NFL and must find a way to prevent Myles Garrett from disrupting their game plan.
Broncos coach Sean Payton will be aware of the challenge his team faces on Sunday afternoon.
large play stand Cleveland’s numbers are few and far between, so Payton will want to limit negative yardage plays on kickoffs and keep the Broncos from getting into bad three-and-long situations.
“You can get any stat. Number three: They’re first in the league,” Payton said of Cleveland’s defense on Friday.
“We reported on the red zone today. You have to get past the 20 [yard] line to have a red zone opportunity.
The main thing I noticed early in the week was their first and second efficiency on defense and their efforts to minimize plays on downs.
The Browns have been good defensively this season.
Cleveland leads the league in keeping opponents out of the end zone on drives inside the 20-yard line. On the other hand,
Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson’s ability to throw the ball in the red zone has been effective recently, especially late in games.
If the Broncos look good, something needs to be done. Payton knows he runs the risk of being too one-dimensional against any opponent, even the Browns’ best defense in the league.
As a result, Denver’s head coach is looking for more balance in the offense, which means getting more production in the running game as the offense (hopefully) moves into the shadow of the goal post.
“First of all, we’ve got to get better in that area,” Payton said Tuesday of running the ball better in the red zone. “Usually you want balance and control.
This is especially true when faced with difficult situations. This is one of the areas we are attacking.
I just finished [a conversation] with Tim. There are still areas that need to be worked on and improved.
Here is one of them.”Follow Mile High Huddle on Twitter and Facebook. Subscribe to the Mile High Huddle on YouTube for daily live podcasts from the Broncos.
