Renck & File: Have Broncos’ opponents hacked their defense? That is a big fat no.

Only a hack would suggest opponents have uncovered a hack to solve the Broncos defense The idea began to percolate over the past two games as Denver struggled to get off the field Ordinarily this type of hiccup for a - association would not matter But it is clear that the Broncos ability to make a Super Bowl run hinges largely on point prevention not point scoring Yes Kansas City and Washington did things to neutralize Denver s on-record-pace pass rush And both converted with regularity while rushing the ball better than expected It is easy to understand why the numbers without context could prompt concern The Broncos won their past two games part of a nine-game winning streak entering Sunday at Las Vegas despite allowing yards on the ground and a conversion rate of on third and fourth down combined Washington tied the event in regulation with a clock-gorging -play -yard drive Here is why hand-wringing should remain tempered The first win came against Patrick Mahomes It was clear the former MVP had no interest in getting hit so he got rid of the ball swiftly Marcus Mariota provided a different challenge creating problems with his legs And both were in more relaxed distances on third downs siphoning off sacks to four for a Broncos association that had been averaging nearly five per match The film shows the same sound Vance Joseph scheme disguises and calls that should land him a head coaching job after this season It also reveals that missed tackles and sacks were more prominent than any time this season The last two opponents did not solve the Broncos defense they benefited from poor execution Talanoa Hufanga who is having an All-Pro season missed tackles Patrick Surtain II was rusty in his return in the first half last Sunday Quarterbacks slipped out of the grasp of Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper Facing the Raiders allows for a get-right tournament an opportunity to stuff the run and struggling rookie Ashton Jeanty creating easy sack opportunities of Geno Smith Want a reason to worry The Broncos rank tied for th with takeaways and that number must spike to alleviate all concerns about a hack All-Star in waiting Jamal Murray will be a first-time All-Star this season or he better be He drove home the notion with a -point battle at the Pacers The performance was notable for two reasons Over the past years Murray is the only performer to tally -plus points while making of his shots and committing one turnover or less He has done it twice And against Indiana he reached with only five free throw attempts At a time when thespians Luca Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander live on the foul line No Call Jamal remains a refreshing watch Related Articles Renck Cherry Creek star Jayden Fox is fast explosive and in in the present day s sports uncommonly unselfish Renck Rockies nail it with hiring of GM Josh Byrnes but it doesn t mean anything yet He must prove it Is current band great like Broncos Or lucky like Kansas City Chiefs Renck Bo Show remains a hit especially in clutch but Broncos cannot keep winning this way Renck File Rockies Paul DePodesta keeping Warren Schaeffer looks bad But here s why it makes sense Stay in Your Lane The folks defending Lane Kiffin s behavior and insisting he should have been allowed to coach Ole Miss in the college football playoff look foolish Kiffin loves attention He craves drama He got both when courted for jobs over the last month before taking LSU s offer That is his choice No dilemma with that But thinking he could still lead Ole Miss and that players needed that is the height of delusion It s like leaving your wife for the mistress and thinking you could still live at your home and celebrate a normal Christmas with the kids Get real On the Mike Time is running out on Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin He has not won a playoff challenge since the season Tomlin will get hired elsewhere but he has grown stale with the Steelers He refuses to fix the offense The line is a concern And the defense is no longer terrific Remember Mike Shanahan got fired in Denver and the Eagles parted solutions with Andy Reid Every coach has an expiration date Both sides need a fresh start