The LabThe fingerprint of every playbook

Denver BroncosScheme DNA

Least middle of the field, most outside runs in the league. Their closest twin is Browns (64% alike), then Jets and Colts. 514 offensive snaps read, 449 of them charted.

League map Broncos verdict JSON

Middle of the field9.8%0th percentile · league 21.0%

Outside runs28.4%84th percentile · league 23.4%

Deep shots9.4%29th percentile · league 11.5%

Screen rate11.0%74th percentile · league 9.0%

Bottom lineTheir loudest habits: middle of the field (9.8%, 0th percentile), outside runs (28.4%, 84th percentile), deep shots (9.4%, 29th percentile).

How to read this chart

The flower:: each petal is one play-calling habit, labeled around the edge. Petal length is the team's rank among the 32 (long = does it more than most; for tempo, long = fast). The dashed ring is the league middle.
The bars:: the same habits as a list: the bar is the rank (the tick in the middle is the league middle), then the real value and the percentile (90 = more than 90% of teams). Jargon: pass rate over expected = how much more or less they throw than the situation predicts; RPO = run-pass option; men in the box = defenders near the line against the run.

Offense

The playbook

Pass rate over expected−0.9%68

Early-down pass rate53.5%77

Shotgun rate65.2%65

No-huddle rate7.2%71

Pre-snap motion62.8%74

Play action22.2%52

Screen rate11.0%74

RPO rate7.1%84

Deep shots9.4%29

Middle of the field9.8%0

Outside runs28.4%84

Tempo38.3s39

Defense

The defense

Blitz rate35.0%71

Five-plus rushers35.0%71

Men in the box6.6252

Stacked boxes10.9%74

Pass rate faced−2.2%55

Deep shots allowed10.1%36

Defensive twins: Patriots (89%), Saints (89%), Rams (88%).

Twins

Offenses most like theirs

Solid shape: Broncos · outline: the twin

Bottom lineBroncos and Browns, 64% alike. Both run outside more and throw more screens than most of the league; Broncos and Browns differ most in throws over the middle (9.8% vs 19.7%) and shotgun rate (65.2% vs 76.8%).

How to read this chart

Each card is one twin:: an offense that calls games like Broncos. The colored shape is Broncos's fingerprint, the white outline the twin's. Where the two match, the habits match.
The %: is how alike the two are across all offensive habits: 100% would be identical, 0% the most different pair in the league.

#1 twinBrowns64%Both run outside more and throw more screens than most of the league; Broncos and Browns differ most in throws over the middle (9.8% vs 19.7%) and shotgun rate (65.2% vs 76.8%).

#2 twinJets63%Both throw less over the middle than most of the league; Broncos and Jets differ most in pre-snap motion (62.8% vs 50.0%) and outside runs (28.4% vs 19.8%).

#3 twinColts62%Both pass more on early downs than most of the league; Broncos and Colts differ most in throws over the middle (9.8% vs 20.5%) and screen rate (11.0% vs 7.6%).

Run game

Where they run

Arrow size = share of carries · color = EPA per carry

Bottom lineTheir favorite lane: middle, 32% of runs, +0.03 EPA per carry.

How to read this chart

Seen from behind the offense:: the line at the bottom is the line of scrimmage, with seven running lanes from the left end to the right end.
Arrow size: and the % above it = share of the team's runs that go there.
Arrow color: = how well those runs work, in EPA per carry (expected points added: above zero helps the offense). Green works, grey is average, red hurts.

Pass game

Where they throw

Share of targets · EPA per throw

Bottom lineMost targeted zone: short right, 41% of throws, +0.03 EPA per throw.

How to read this chart

The field from the quarterback's eyes:: left, middle and right; the bottom row is short throws, the top row deep throws.
Each box: shows the share of throws that go there (more solid = more throws) and its color the EPA per throw: green helps the offense, grey is average, red hurts.

Formation Tell

What the formation gives away

How to read this chart

Two dots on one line from 0% to 100%:: how often they throw when the quarterback is under center, and how often from shotgun, on neutral downs.
The gap between them: is what a defense learns from the formation alone: a wide gap means the alignment tips run or pass.

Under center35%pass rate, neutral downs

Shotgun77%pass rate, neutral downs

A 42-point gap: middle of the pack offenses in the league (20 of 32). See all 32 →