4 Categories The Broncos Defense Ranks No. 1 In
DENVER (CBS4) - The Denver Broncos have emerged from the 1st quarter of the season with a perfect 4-0 record, and much of the credit of course belongs to the Broncos defense.
After preserving Sunday's win over the Vikings, the Denver D now ranks No. 1 in the NFL in the following categories:
1. Total Yards
275.5 yards per game. That's all the Broncos are giving up each week. That's best in the league by almost a full 5 yards less than the No 2 defense of the New York Jets.
2. Pass Yards
185.2 yards per game. Most teams are finding it very difficult to almost impossible to pass consistently on the Broncos. The pressure applied up front has been relentless, and even when there's enough time to get the ball off, the Broncos outstanding secondary is waiting.
3. Sacks
18. After 4 games, the Broncos are the top of the heat for sacks. That puts them on a pace to tie the 1984 Chicago Bears for the most sacks in a single season. The Bears recorded 72 that season. As mentioned in item 2, this pressure on opposing quarterbacks has made passing a very risky proposition for the opponents.
4. 3rd Down Defense
25%. Opposing teams have faced 3rd down 48 times in the first 4 games. Only 12 of those have been converted for a first down or touchdown against the Broncos defense. One of the mantras of every defense is to "get off the field". The Broncos defense does it better than any other team in the NFL.
These are the categories where the Broncos are the best.
There are several other categories, including points allowed, turnovers and defensive touchdowns where the Broncos are ranked No. 2. With stats like those, it's understandable how the Broncos have raced out to a perfect record, despite an offense that's been less than perfect and actually ranks among the worst in the league at this point in the season.
Steve Cox is CBS4's Executive Producer for Sports. He has been with CBS4 since 1993. Follow Steve on Twitter @stevecoxdenver.
