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Broncos going pass-happy?

Sanders thinks he'll be busy in 2017

Demaryius Thomas says he's healthy, the hip that troubled him last season no longer an issue. Emmanuel Sanders also says he's feeling great, having eliminated fast food from his diet. He says it's key because the Broncos will be throwing the ball around a ton this season.

"We’ve got this new offense with Mike McCoy," says Sanders. "We’re going to be throwing the ball around so my conditioning has to be up and I’ve been working on that.’’

If Sanders is correct, it will be a change from recent years. Denver hasn't ranked higher than 14th in percentage of pass plays to run plays in any of the last three seasons. Last year they had youngsters playing quarterback and the year before that a cooked Peyton Manning, but it includes the 2014 season, too, when Manning was still playing at a higher level and threw for more than 4,700 yards.

% PASS/RUN PLAYS, 2014-2016 (RANK)
Team'14'15'16%Pass(Tot)
Detroit81364.0
Jacksonville42763.8
New Orleans56563.4
Oakland191962.6
Baltimore244162.4
San Diego1251261.9
Indianapolis6101461.8
Atlanta3152260.9
Miami932760.8
Pittsburgh13131660.7
NY Giants18121160.4
Cleveland277260.2
Washington1422860.0
Arizona1523660.0
Chicago2261359.9
Denver19141759.8
Green Bay2218459.7
Philadelphia20161859.1
New England1682859.0
Tennessee10113058.6
Tampa Bay7242458.2
Los Angeles17281057.7
Minnesota2130957.2
Kansas City23252056.4
NY Jets28192156.1
San Francisco26172955.7
Houston32202554.6
Cincinnati29272354.3
Carolina25312654.2
Buffalo11323154.0
Seattle31291553.5
Dallas30213252.7

That being said, for Denver to truly implement a pass-happy approach, it will need either Trevor Siemian or Paxton Lynch to step up in the preseason. Neither did a year ago. Siemian is a seventh-round pick, while Lynch is a first-rounder yet to prove anything. Actually becoming the kind of offense Sanders envisions is easier said than done.

On behalf of both wideouts, Denver doesn't necessarily have a viable No. 3 receiver. The passing game should funnel through those two even if the pass-run mix doesn't change as much as Sanders expects. Wide receiver duos to catch more passes than Denver's last year? There were only three.

WIDE RECEIVER DUOS, 2016
TeamNo. 1No. 2NoYdsTD
Oak.Amari CooperMichael Crabtree172215613
G.B.Jordy NelsonDavante Adams172225426
N.O.Brandin CooksMichael Thomas170231017
Den.Demaryius ThomasEmmanuel Sanders169211510
NYGOdell Beckham Jr.Sterling Shepard166205018
Pitt.Antonio BrownEli Rogers154187815
Minn.Adam ThielenStefon Diggs15318708
T.B.Mike EvansAdam Humphries151194314
Mia.Jarvis LandryDeVante Parker15018808
Det.Golden TateMarvin Jones14620078
Balt.Mike WallaceSteve Smith14218169
Atl.Julio JonesMohamed Sanu142206210
Ariz.Larry FitzgeraldJ.J. Nelson141159112
Jac.Allen RobinsonMarqise Lee13617349
N.E.Julian EdelmanChris Hogan13617867
Sea.Doug BaldwinTyler Lockett13517258
Wash.Pierre GarconDeSean Jackson13520467
Cin.A.J. GreenBrandon LaFell130182610
S.D.Tyrell WilliamsDontrelle Inman127186911
Hou.DeAndre HopkinsWill Fuller12515896
Dall.Cole BeasleyDez Bryant125162913
Ind.T.Y. HiltonPhillip Dorsett12419768
Chi.Cameron MeredithAlshon Jeffery11817096
NYJQuincy EnunwaBrandon Marshall11716457
Car.Kelvin BenjaminTed Ginn117169311
Clev.Terrelle PryorCorey Coleman11014207
Phil.Jordan MatthewsDorial Green-Beckham10911965
L.A.Kenny BrittBrian Quick10915668
Tenn.Rishard MatthewsTajae Sharpe106146711
K.C.Tyreek HillJeremy Maclin10511298
S.F.Jeremy KerleyQuinton Patton10110753
Buff.Robert WoodsMarquise Goodwin8010444

--Andy Richardson

Fantasy Index