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Denver Broncos' offense off-balance for good reason

By The Sports Xchange
Denver Broncos Head Coach Gary Kubiak. Photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI
Denver Broncos Head Coach Gary Kubiak. Photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI | License Photo

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- If the Denver Broncos call passing plays on 65 percent of their snaps in the regular season as they have in the preseason, their offense will likely be in trouble. At minimum, it will be far from the balanced unit Broncos coach Gary Kubiak wants.

One of the reasons for the proliferation of passes was to get a good look at quarterbacks Trevor Siemian, Mark Sanchez and Paxton Lynch. Even though the offensive line features new starters at four positions, Kubiak wasn't as worried about his re-shuffled unit's ability to create holes for C.J. Anderson, Devontae Booker and the rest of the Broncos' backfield corps.

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Anderson's 19-yard touchdown gallop in the first quarter last week punctuated a 124-yard night for the Broncos' ground game, and their four tailbacks -- Anderson, Booker, Ronnie Hillman and Kapri Bibbs -- have averaged 4.3 yards per carry on 45 attempts through two games.

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Anderson expects more of the same against Los Angeles' stout defensive front -- both in terms of ground production and pass-run imbalance -- when the Broncos host the Rams on Saturday.

"We're just going to play the game that we need to play. Do I still think that we're going to go throw the ball to figure out the quarterback situation? Yes," Anderson said. "When we do get our runs, we just have to hit our spots and go. That's what we've been doing."

--As of Thursday, Gary Kubiak's only decision regarding the quarterbacks was that Trevor Siemian will start.

"I haven't made a decision. I'm telling the truth," he said when he was asked Thursday whether Paxton Lynch or Mark Sanchez would be the second quarterback in action Saturday.

Lynch's game work has only been with the third team in the preseason, but he has played extensively, leading the Broncos in attempts (33) and touchdown passes (two). Sanchez worked with the No. 2 offense last week after starting Aug. 11 in Chicago, and fumbled twice.

Kubiak said previous experience will not factor into his decision on who will be the starting quarterback in Week 1.

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"I'm looking at what's taken place the last six months,'' Kubiak said. " How they've handled themselves, how they've handled the team and how they respond to things. That's what I'm looking at."

Sanchez was in better spirits this week than he was after his two fumbles Saturday, and wide receiver Demaryius Thomas said he didn't detect any frustration from the eight-year veteran. But at the same time, Thomas admitted he wasn't paying much attention to what was happening at quarterback.

"I just worry about my room and what I have to do," he said. "Those guys have a job to do the same way we do. If it has (been frustrating for Sanchez), I haven't seen it. He comes to work ready to go every day. I haven't seen any."

--After seeing rookies Kalif Raymond and Bralon Addison handle kickoff and punt returns, Gary Kubiak plans to let Jordan Norwood handle the work in the first half Saturday, with Raymond and Addison working in the second half.

Norwood, the incumbent punt returner who had an electric 61-yard runback in Super Bowl 50, has limited kickoff return experience, but has gotten work on it in practice as the Broncos see if their slot receiver can handle an expansion of his special-teams responsibilities.

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Neither Raymond nor Addison had much room to roam last Saturday, drawing the ire of special-teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis.

"Not solid," he said. "I'm disappointed in the way that we blocked. I thought that no matter who you put back there, whether it was Devin Hester, Mel Gray, whoever you want to put back there, we didn't open anything up for them. I'm not happy in the way that went."

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