Keeler: Broncos star facing most pressure in 2025 isn’t Bo Nix. It’s Vance Joseph

All we are saying? Give pieces to Vance.Were a team that wants to just fly downhill, new Broncos safety Talanoa Hufanga, a heat-seeking free agent from the 49ers, told me after practice Thursday.

From my knowledge of just watching it on tape, guys are very confident in what they do.

And (Joseph) instills that confidence to begin with.Bo Nix was the fix that gets the clicks.

But 2025 will fly as far and as fast as Vance Josephs defense can flutter.The Broncos gave up more than 21 points to the opposition just seven times over 18 games last season.

They were 1-6 in those contests.

Four of those defensive meltdowns transpired after Week 11.The 2024 Broncos D was to VJ what Ulysses was to James Joyce, what The Starry Night was to Van Gogh.

His moment.

His masterpiece.Joseph stacked the NFLs best defensive player (Pat Surtain II) and a Jenga tower of pluggers into the leagues No.

3-ranked scoring defense.

His unit put up the most sacks (63) in Broncos history, no small feat for a franchise that gave us Von Miller, Karl Mecklenburg, Simon Fletcher and Tombstone Jackson.I think Vance is amazing, Hufanga, whos awfully good himself, said of his new coordinator.

I think the way his passion (is), his energy (is), the way he wants to coach you hes going to coach you whether youre good or bad.

Hes going to make sure you know, Hey, this is what we want, and this is what were going to get.Hes also running low on excuses.

Hufanga is here, in part, because the last chapter of VJs Ulysses, especially the paragraphs after Dec.

1, made for an awfully hard read.VJs wrecking crew didnt just run out of bodies late.

At times, they looked out of gas.Despite the pleas from Broncos Country to get Nix more help, three of Denvers four biggest offseason additions came on the defensive side of the ball.If Sean Paytons offseason had a theme, it was this: He might not trust VJ any more than you do.Why was Jerry Jeudy, you could picture Payton asking Joseph, always open?VJ: No Riley Moss.SP: How did James Cook rack up so many yards in Buffalo?VJ: No Alex Singleton.SP: And Gus Edwards in L.A.?VJ: Same answer.Joseph has more answers now.

If healthy, linebacker Dre Greenlaw is a sideline-to-sideline enforcer who was clocked at 22 miles per hour as a collegian.

Hufanga closes like Trevor Hoffman.

First-round draft pick Jahdae Barron, a spry defensive back out of Texas, sports a 35-inch vertical and ran a 4.39-second 40-yard dash at the combine.Expectations always can change things, NFL Network analyst Bucky Brooks said of the Broncos D.

However, every year is like a snowflake.

You never know where its going to fall, whether its injuries or inconsistency....

That said, you have a lot of confidence.

The players have a lot of confidence, because theyve seen what they can do when everybodys on the same page.Yet the NFL grind almost always demands re-writes on the fly, doesnt it? With Moss either out or banged up at cornerback, the Broncos gave up 32, 13, 34, 30, 0 and 31 points over their final six games, including the playoffs.And the goose egg was to a Chiefs offense that willingly laid down its swords and trotted out backups.

Which added up to 28 points allowed per contest against teams that were actually trying.The nitty gritty looked even grittier up close.

Joe Burrow went wild.

Josh Allen did what he wanted, when he wanted.

Over those five games vs.

trying foes, the Broncos gave up an average of 309 yards through the air and allowed another 134 on the ground.

Opponents managed seven third-down conversions per contest at a rate of 46%.

(Denvers season averages were 5.2 conversions allowed and 37%.) The Broncos went 3-3 after Dec.

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Josephs third defense as coordinator with Arizona in 2021 was also his best in the desert.

The Cardinals improved from 12th in the NFL in scoring defense (22.9 points per game) in 2020 to 11th (21.5) the next fall.If VJ wants another shot to be a head coach, this season and this defense afford him the chance to keep stacking good vibes.

If Payton wants to cut bait, Jim Leonhard is waiting in the wings.

As sequels go, keep your popcorn handy.You want to see people have success, whether thats (VJ) being a head coach somewhere or (not), Hufanga said.

You want the best for people.

Im very excited to work with (Joseph).

Hopefully, I get to work with him for the rest of my career.Hopefully.

Payton might forgive, but he doesnt forget.

Moss and Singleton, knock on wood, are back in the fold.

A lot of holes have been patched.The NFL blame game can be as cyclical as it is cynical.

Yet one universal truth never wavers: Once you run out of fingers to point, the only man left is the one at the end of the thumb.Want more Broncos news? Sign up for the Broncos Insider to get all our NFL analysis..

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