The Broncos have been stuck in the basement of the NFL for some time now, and to get out of it in 2023, they have three things they have to fix.



The Broncos are a legendary franchise. They have been to more Super Bowls than most of the NFL and are a franchise with a standard for winning football. The only thing is we last saw that standard some time ago.



The last time the Broncos had a winning season was the year after they won the Super Bowl, in 2016. Since then, they have been a team that everyone walks over. They have been another team at the bottom of the barrel, a team that is considered to be in the basement.

To get "out of the basement" and have a somewhat successful season in 2023, there are three things they need to fix. If they can do that, you will instantly see results.

1. Not only protect Wilson, but give him time in the pocket

Russell Wilson was sacked more than any quarterback in the league last year. He was brought down 55 times, which is the most in a season by a Broncos quarterback ever. That can't happen again. That is a huge reason he didn't play well; it oftentimes felt like he had no time to get a play-off.



Not only was he being hit and getting injured from those hits, but he was also not given any time to produce a play or see the full play, play out. The offensive line being so bad then led to the Broncos not being able to establish a run game. They have to keep him from getting hit because a healthy Wilson is the best Wilson, but also he needs time to process everything happening.



The Broncos made some moves in the offseason to try and assure that this huge issue gets fixed.

2. Improve their training staff

The Broncos tied the Tennessee Titans in 2022 for having the most players on the injured reserve list. That’s not a good thing to lead the league in, but it feels like they are good at doing just that every year. This thing to improve in 2023 is somewhat out of their control, but at the same time, their staff can always improve.

They missed some pretty important players for important stretches last season. Wide receiver Tim Patrick, and their best red zone threat, missed the entire season. Running back Javonte Williams, left tackle Garett Bolles, cornerback Ronald Darby, outside linebacker Randy Gregory, running back Mike Boone, safety Caden Sterns, center Lloyd Cushenberry, linebacker Jonas Griffith, and Justin Simmons missed a handful of games as well.

You could argue that with those guys on the field, they are better than they are without them.

3. The defense needs more takeaways

The Broncos defense started the season as one of the best. As the first few weeks of the season happened, the San Francisco 49ers’ defense and the Broncos were the two in the conversation for the best. Obviously things changed as the season went on. The Philadelphia Eagles started to become one of the best defenses and the Broncos started playing tougher opponents.

Even though the defense wasn’t bad, they could have been much better at getting takeaways. They finished 15th in team takeaways, which is basically middle of the pack. That’s not bad but it certainly could be better. Justin Simmons alone had five of the Broncos 23 takeaways via interceptions. If they get that number up, and give the offense more opportunities to score, it will help them tremendously.

The Broncos have a chance to be much better in 2023, but to do so, they must improve these things. 

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