Broncos defense features classic 4-3 scheme with pass-rush flexibility – The Denver Post

Good stuff here on the Broncos defensive scheme.

That is the Broncos’ chief issue on defense at the moment. They have athletic players with plenty of speed like Dumervil, Miller, Woodyard and Trevathan. But to get those players on the field, they are taking out bigger players to do it. So, your astute quarterbacks will often see the lighter formation and change to running plays. And when things haven’t gone well for the Broncos defense in Fox’s tenure, it’s often because the Broncos can’t stop the run, or the tight end in the passing game with the smaller lineup. The Broncos succeeded in going a little smaller Sunday against the Raiders because they held the lead for much of the afternoon and didn’t allow the Raiders to run the ball effectively when the game was still in doubt. As a result, Oakland was in a pass-first most mode for much of the second half and the Broncos could go lighter on defense and know they would be in pass-rush situations almost without fail. The questions will arise when they try it against offenses when the run game is still an option.