Per our metrics, Denver's pass defense is better than it was a year ago while the Broncos' offense is performing at a similar level. So why are their playoff hopes circling the drain?
Heading into the 2016 season, there was a concern about whether the Denver Broncos could sustain their level of defense from 2015. Using our Net Expected Points (NEP) metric, the Broncos were the top defense by a wide margin last season. By Adjusted Defensive NEP per play, which is adjusted for strength of schedule, Denver was more than twice as good as the second-best defense in the league.