The Donatell Diary: Not With a Bang But a Whimper
K. Joudry
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The final stanza of T.S. Eliot’s “The Hollow Men” features a less-than-inspiring end of the world: “This is the way the world ends / Not with a bang but a whimper.” Not altogether unlike Eliot’s “Hollow Men,” the Broncos finished with a whimper. The final game was largely meaningless, though it did come against the division rival Chiefs. A perfectly pedestrian 8-9 record was up for grabs, but a loss led to the Broncos finishing 7-10.
Readers who haven’t been following along or who’d like a refresher can feel free to read the reports on the Broncos’ defensive performance in Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 12, Week 13, Week 14, Week 15, Week 16, and Week 17 (Week 11 was Denver’s bye week). It’s now time to take on Week 18.
The Positives
Patrick Surtain, Ronald Darby, and Kareem Jackson were all out in this game. Keeping Patrick Mahomes to 27/44 passing for 270 yards and a pair of TDs isn’t too bad. True, Tyreek Hill was very limited in this one, but it was still a strong effort from the defense. Shortly after the opening half, the game broadcast showed that with 30 opening half dropbacks, Denver didn’t blitz one time. The strategy, quite evidently, was to force Mahomes to find an open man with lots of players in coverage. It was largely successful.
Following a game in Week 17 where they didn’t get any sacks, Denver found a way to be disruptive in this one:
One of my main takeaways from watching Denver’s games is that Shelby Harris is massively underrated. He’s a great player, and it’s a shame that he’s now playing for a Seahawks team that likely won’t compete. If they’d be interested in a trade, Minnesota would be wise to ask about Harris.
We also need to remember that the Broncos actually had a lead in the fourth quarter. Heck, their offense was even getting close to extending that lead. Unfortunately, a fumble was brought back to the end zone:
In a sense, seeing Denver lose a game due to their offense fumbling the ball and then allowing a super long return for a TD is pretty fitting. Throughout the season, the Broncos offense let down the other side of the ball. Denver’s defense would fight, fight some more, and then come up short in the end because they didn’t get enough help.
Since the two starting corners were out, Donatell had to elevate Michael Ojemudia. The young corner didn’t do too bad. Being forced into a game against Mahomes is no easy task. It’s yet another instance when Denver was able to get young players to play above expectations. Minnesota’s depth mostly consists of young players who have been brought in during recent drafts, so hopefully Donatell can replicate this success with player development.
The Negatives
Mahomes did some damage with his legs. By the end of the game, Mahomes had 9 carries for 54 yards. It’s yet another reminder that Minnesota’s defensive front will need to stay disciplined on passing downs. When pass rushers get too far up the field and/or out of their lane, mobile QBs will be able to find room.
We also saw a former Vikings player get a TD in this one. Jerick McKinnon took a short pass in the flats in for a touchdown. As the Next Gen Stats video suggests, McKinnon was able to make some Denver defenders miss. The whole point of inviting QBs to throw underneath is to allow the defenders to step up for a tackle. If a defender(s) misses the tackle, then the plan obviously doesn’t work.
Kansas City was able to sustain long drives in this game, largely because they were able to spread the ball out to several different players. Mecole Hardman led the way with 8 catches and 103 yards, but Byron Pringle, Travis Kelce, Demarcus Robinson, Darrel Williams, and McKinnon all caught the ball. There were times when it would have been nice to see the Broncos defense get off the field, but it’s hard to find too much fault in their bend-but-don’t-break approach in a game when they were missing so many starters.
The Send Off
Denver had the capacity to be a playoff team. In that sense, they weren’t that different from Minnesota. Both teams had defensive head coaches who were on the hot seat. Whereas Minnesota’s offense was the stronger unit, it was Denver’s defense that was the most impressive.
Ideally, the Ed Donatell addition will help re-energize Minnesota’s defense. If successful, the Vikings have a chance at being a surprise team next season. Pairing their strong offense with a rejuvenated defense would allow for a considerably more dangerous Minnesota Vikings.
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