'We’re starting to click at the right time': Broncos post shutout as defense cues dominant win

Miles

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Mar 18, 2019
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DENVER — This.


This is what it is supposed to look like.


The Vic Fangio effect. A dominant defense. A stifling unit that changes the complexity of the game through sacks and takeaways.


Broncos fans have been waiting for all of the above — and they saw it Sunday in a 16-0 win over the Tennessee Titans that pushed Denver to 2-4 ahead of a “Thursday Night Football” date with the Chiefs.


The encouraging news for Broncos fans? The unit isn’t satisfied.


“We can even be better than that,” defensive lineman Derek Wolfe said. “… A goose egg is great; the ultimate goal is to not let them score a point. But we gave up some random plays that we shouldn’t have gave up. We could’ve shut them down even more.”


What the Broncos were able to do was impressive enough.


They posted the 19th shutout in franchise history and only the third in the last 22 years. They recorded seven sacks, intercepted three passes, allowed just 204 total yards and forced the Titans to change quarterbacks. The defense has now gone nine quarters without allowing a touchdown, and the unit posted a seven-sack, three-interception game for the first time since 1984.


“It was impressive, like you said, at all three levels,” Fangio said. “Shutouts are hard to come by in this league. … They don’t come very often, and the only way to get one is to play good, sound defense, make a play occasionally when you’re in one-on-one situations because those are invariably going to come up. We made a few of those. We didn’t make them all, but guys were just resilient and had a good mindset.”


Considering the circumstances, the performance may look even better.


The Broncos were without three of their top four cornerbacks against the Titans, as Bryce Callahan and Duke Dawson Jr. were inactive with injuries and De’Vante Bausby was placed on injured reserve earlier in the week. The defense also remained without Bradley Chubb, who tore his ACL two weeks ago.


Fangio seemed pleased with the effort of a makeshift secondary that featured first-year cornerback Davontae Harris making his first start.


“Did they score?” Fangio said with a laugh. “They held up pretty well, but as you all are very well aware of, we have a different test coming here in a few days.”
 
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