Vance Joseph’s defense is a big reason this team wins

One of the biggest reasons that the Denver Broncos have the #1 seed in the AFC and 14 wins under their belt is due to the way their defense operates.

This week, I’ve been really appreciating the opportunity to cheer for our team in home games in the playoffs. I think, like many fans in Broncos Country, the accomplishment shines bright after so many years of this team wandering in the desert.

This team has not only made the playoffs, but in a way dominated their season. 14 wins is a very tough number to achieve in the NFL.

So I was thinking a bit today about why this team has been able to win so consistently. The first thing that came to mind was the play on defense. With all the rumors swirling regarding Vance Joseph, it is worth us taking a moment this week to give credit to the work he’s done.

What this defense is not:

• This defense is not just a cover-0 man team
• This defense does not have an overall dominant secondary, the likes of the No Fly Zone from 2015
• This defensive pass rush is not successful because of two dominant edge rushers, like most defenses
• This defense is not fully loaded with blue-chip players front to back

What this defense is:

• This defense utilizes both zone and man (blending them at times)
• This defense adjusts itself from game to game in taking away the common strengths of their opponents
• This defensive pass rush comes from interior linemen, edge players, linebackers, and the secondary
• This defense plays for each other unselfishly as well as or better than any other defense I’ve had the joy to watch in the NFL
• That last point is a rare thing in the NFL and is why some of the weaker spots in the roster aren’t as big a liability as they might normally be

Don’t get me wrong: Patrick Surtain II, Zach Allen, Nik Bonitto, and Talanoa Hufanga are all blue-chip players who are among the most talented the NFL has to offer in my eyes. This defense has weapons.

What’s more important is that this defensive roster has been built with high levels of football IQ as a required component of each player, as it asks them to adjust on the fly, put into play different concepts every game, and employ different techniques each and every game at each of their positions on the field.

This is a defense that does its homework, understands what its opponent does well, and has a plan on how to take away the strengths of its opponent.

Bo Nix gets a ton of well-deserved credit for so many end-of-game scores to help this team win.

But he’s not able to get that part done if the defense can’t hold up their end of the bargain and stop opponents. The defense’s ability to clutch week after week and get stops in...