Denver Broncos Still Need To Make Coaching Change Despite Comeback In Win Over Chicago Bears

Forbes Business SportsMoney Denver Broncos Still Need To Make Coaching Change Despite Comeback In Win Over Chicago Bears DJ Siddiqi Contributor Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. I cover the NFL, NBA and pro wrestling at Forbes. Following Oct 1, 2023, 04:20pm EDT | Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Despite their win over the Chicago Bears, the Denver Broncos need to eventually move on from .

. . [+] defensive coordinator Vance Joseph.

(Photo by Andy Cross/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images) Denver Post via Getty Images The Denver Broncos will be able to breathe easy for one more week following their season-saving 31-28 victory over the Chicago Bears. In a game that was yet again highlighted by the inadequate play of the Broncos’ defensive unit, Denver somehow overcame a 21-point deficit in the second half to score 24 consecutive points in their victory over the Bears. The strong play of Russell Wilson, a couple of big plays by the defensive unit — including a sack and fumble recovery for a touchdown in the fourth quarter — and a major coaching gaffe by Bears head coach Matt Eberflus that saw him Chicago fail on a fourth-and-1 conversion inside the red zone instead of kicking the go-ahead field goal culminated in one of the biggest comeback wins of the 2023 season.

It’s a win that not only saves the franchise and new head coach Sean Payton from any further criticism for a week, it’s a victory that saves defensive coordinator Vance Joseph his job — for now. Prior to the start of the fourth quarter, there was no argument that the Broncos needed to fire Joseph. If you thought the Broncos reached an all-time low in their historic 70-20 loss to the Miami Dolphins, their performance versus the Chicago Bears through three quarters — an abysmal performance that saw them allow Justin Fields to complete a franchise-record 16 consecutive passes — almost felt just as bad.

Despite facing a quarterback with the fourth-lowest rating in the NFL, Denver’s pass defense somehow looked just as bad — if not worse — than it did a week prior. Fields faced a defensive unit that allowed blown coverages, committed silly penalties and missed a number of tackles for the second consecutive week. MORE FOR YOU Liverpool Women Stun Arsenal In Front Of Record WSL Attendance A Look At Sávio, Girona’s Brazilian Helping Battle Barcelona And Real Madrid NFL 2023 Week 4 Odds, Picks And Pro Football Betting Insight Bills-Dolphins Fields — who has faced massive criticism early on in the 2023 season for his lack of development as a passer — looked like the best quarterback in the league against the Broncos, completing 23-of-24 passes for 285 yards (11.

4 yards per pass attempt) for four touchdowns and zero interceptions through the first three quarters of the game. A Bears offense that entered the game averaging just 15. 7 points per game (27th in the NFL) looked like an unstoppable unit largely because Denver’s defensive coordinator — Joseph — simply isn’t the right man for the job.

It marks the third consecutive week that Denver’s defensive unit — which ranked seventh in yards allowed last season and third in points allowed during the 2021 season — looked like the worst defense in the NFL. The 51-year-old defensive coordinator was always a questionable hire to begin with. In fact, his history with Denver isn’t great.

Joseph served as the head coach of the Broncos during the 2017 and 2018 seasons, going 11-21 during his tenure in Denver. In fact, those back-to-back losing seasons came shortly after the Broncos won Super Bowl 50 and finished with a respectable 9-7 record during the 2016 season. It was also the first time the Broncos suffered back-to-back losing seasons since 1972.

Outside of his faulty history with the Broncos, Joseph has never been a great defensive coordinator. Since initially becoming a defensive coordinator with the Dolphins in 2016, Joseph’s defensive units have never ranked within the top 10 in points allowed. Don’t let this win over the NFL’s worst team — the Bears have the league’s worst point differential at -62 — fool you; this defensive unit is very bad.

The Broncos were outplayed for three quarters. In fact, Fields’ lone incomplete pass during the first three quarters was on an attempted Hail Mary pass at the end of the first half. Prior to the Bears’ last offensive drive — an interception thrown to safety Kareem Jackson — Fields went 7-of-8 on third down passes for four first downs.

One of the NFL’s worst passers had his way with Denver’s defensive unit with absolutely no resistance or adjustments made along the way. The Bears’ loss marks their biggest blown lead — 21 points — in franchise history. It’s a win that Broncos fans should feel good about considering their historic loss in Miami last week and the letdowns this franchise has become accustomed to in recent years.

But make no mistake about it, this defensive unit — led by Joseph — is a real issue that’s not going away. The Broncos face the New York Jets — led by the inept Zach Wilson — next week. In other words, it’s another week where the Broncos will face one of the league’s worst quarterbacks and another opportunity for the defense to mask their glaring woes.

But what happens when Denver faces the Kansas City Chiefs in two of the next three weeks? How about the Buffalo Bills the week after? The Broncos’ comeback win is a nice band-aid considering everything they’ve gone through this season. But make no mistake about it, until Joseph is fired, the defensive unit will prevent this team from winning games. Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn .

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