I’m back with something other than a film review! This is a new weekly feature where I’ll break down the Eagles’ upcoming opponent strictly through the film. I’ve watched the most recent games of the opponents, focusing on specific areas: touchdowns, deep passes, turnovers, sacks, and explosive runs. Think of it less as a prediction piece and more as a scouting report. Each week, I’ll publish two articles on the opponent’s offense and defense to give a picture of what the Eagles will be up against.
The Broncos score in a variety of ways, and Sean Payton’s fingerprints are everywhere. Their red-zone tape is full of misdirection and tendency breakers. You’ll see Sutton isolated in 3×1 and 4×1 sets for slants, fades, and posts. He is the guy that they will target this week on vertical shots and in the red zone.
You’ll also see trick plays, like Sutton leaking free off a fake toss on 4th and 2, or a WR faking a crack block before slipping into the flat for an easy score. I saw SO many busted coverages when watching their film, that isn’t just a fluke!
Payton isn’t afraid to get heavy either. They’ve rolled out six offensive linemen, tight ends, and a fullback near the goal line, mixing downhill power runs with play-action boots. It’s pretty unique compared to most modern offenses. Against the Bengals, RJ Harvey scored off a busted coverage when motion confused the defense. In short, touchdowns come from a mix of scheme and Sutton’s ability to win one-on-one. I think the scheme is better than the talent (makes a change from watching the Eagles every week…).
Bo Nix is inconsistent, but when he’s in rhythm, he can deliver. The Broncos don’t throw deep at a high volume (17th in attempt rate), but they rank 5th in deep EPA per play. Courtland Sutton is the primary target on posts and fades, and Nix isn’t shy about giving him contested chances. Against Cincinnati, Sutton’s touchdown came on a perfectly timed vertical ball that highlighted his size advantage. Nix will give Sutton a chance in the slot, too.
Payton also dials up trick shots. They are awesome. You always have to be prepared for something funky, such as a fake outside zone toss play-action shot on 4th and 2…
Or a flea flicker on 3rd and 18…
That’s awesome, except for the throw! The inconsistency is real: Nix has scattershot accuracy, overthrows, and throws into traffic, but he’ll punish safeties who don’t get depth. Andrew Mukuba, I’ll be watching you closely this week…
Nix can roll to his right or left and sling it down the field, too. He’s pretty good out of structure when needed.
A bit like Baker Mayfield, Nix is lucky not to have more interceptions this year. There have been dropped picks, bad overthrows, and some fumbles under pressure. Nix’s style contributes to this: he rarely throws it away, constantly extends plays, and forces balls into windows that aren’t really there.
When Nix is forced off his first read and asked to throw over linebackers and in front of safeties, mistakes happen. The Eagles’ best chance is to disguise coverages, rotate late, and trust that Nix’s aggressive nature will offer them opportunities. The Eagles will have chances at some big plays on defense this week. Sometimes, Nix just misses…
This offensive line is excellent. They’ve allowed pressure on just 19.2% of dropbacks (2nd-lowest in NFL). The entire group is very well-coached. Nix has only been sacked 3 times this year, and they were all on him, rather than the offensive line. Sometimes, he won’t check it down, won’t throw it away, and instead holds on searching for the big play. That never-say-die mentality produces highlights but also sacks and strip-sack chances.
For the Eagles, this is about patience and maintaining rush lane integrity. They may not rack up sacks early, but if they keep lanes disciplined and force Nix to extend, the plays will come.
I love the design of their run game, too. The Broncos rank top-five in rushing yards per game (143.3), and Payton’s run game is as old-school as it gets. They lean on gap concepts, pin-and-pull, traps, and counters, often dressed up with motion, screens, and heavy personnel. Can the Eagles take notes? Get ready for some pulling guards!
I’m such a sucker for any offense that runs 6 OL. Add in 2 TE’s and a FB? Sign me up. This is old-school power football!
However, Payton is no dinosaur. They can mix it up and run all the modern stuff. It’s a diverse run game led by a very good scheme and offensive line.
Nix can also scramble. He’s converted multiple third downs on scrambles. As I said earlier, rush lane integrity is important.
The Broncos’ offense is a mix of Payton’s schemed brilliance and Nix’s aggressive nature. They can manufacture touchdowns through confusion, hit verticals off tendency breakers, and lean on a physical run game. But Nix’s streaky decision-making, poor intermediate accuracy, and refusal to throw the ball away also create openings for the defense. For the Eagles, they must stay disciplined against the window dressing, disguise coverages to force Nix into intermediate throws, and do just enough up front to keep him uncomfortable. Do that, and turnovers may follow. This will be a great test for this defense.
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