Mile High Sports

30 Questions for 2016: Will the “No Fly Zone” keep QBs grounded?

In the 30 days leading up to the start of Denver Broncos Training Camp 2016, we’re examining 30 big questions for the season. We’ll make a case for each answer; you’ll vote and tell Broncos Country what’s going to happen this year.

The 2016 Denver Broncos defense was one of the best to ever grace a football field due in large part to the best pass defense in the league.

Dubbed the “No FLy Zone”, the Broncos secondary doesn’t have any weak links. Chris Harris Jr. and Aqib Talib at cornerback and Darian Stewart and T.J. Ward at safety hit hard and make quarterbacks pay for even thinking about dropping back and testing the waters. They posted 14 interceptions and allowed the fewest passing yards per game in the league.

Both Harris and Talib would’ve started in the 2015 Pro Bowl had the Broncos not played in Super Bowl 50. Ward was selected as an alternate. Three out of four starters in a secondary earning Pro Bowl honors doesn’t happen often.

Yet there are serious questions about depth entering 2016.

The Broncos chose not to resign backup safeties David Bruton and Omar Bolden following their Super Bowl 50 victory. Aqib Talib could miss significant time related to a gun incident during the offseason.

The Broncos made it clear they are counting on some of the younger guys to step in and contribute. Kayvon Webster and Bradley Roby at cornerback, and newly drafted safety Justin Simmons will have to contribute.

It almost seems impossible that the “No Fly Zone” could improve on their performance last season, but even the fact that they’re in a position to do so is something special.

With all four starters (tentatively) returning, the “No Fly Zone” could see their season go a few different ways.

Scenario 1: Domination

The Broncos somehow improve on their historic effort from last year. The front seven will be just as tenacious as they were in 2015 and as a result quarterbacks are forced to throw under even more pressure. The ball-hawking secondary will pick off any pass even remotely off target. The net result means Harris, Talib and Co. picks off 18 or more passes in 2016.

Scenario 2: More Picks, More Yards

The Broncos defense could post better interception numbers, yet still take a step back. Last year the Broncos allowed a league-best 199.6 yards per game passing. Their 14 picks were only good for 13th, partly because so few teams were throwing on them. With more inexperience on the field, teams could be more tempted to pass on Denver. The net result could be more picks, but more yards allowed.

Scenario 3: The Price of Success

The “No Fly Zone” takes a significant step back and can’t recreate the magic they had in 2015. Talib misses significant time due to suspension and Bradley Roby and Kayvon Webster can’t fill the void. Quarterbacks figure out their weaknesses and the secondary only accounts for 10-13 interceptions.

Scenario 4: Disaster

2016 reveals that the dominant defense Denver boasted in 2015 was a fluke. Mile High magic is a thing of the past and the Broncos defense gets torn up on a weekly basis. Talib misses most of the season and the “No Fly Zone” turns into Denver International Airport. The secondary only manages nine or fewer interceptions.

What does Broncos Country think? How many interceptions will the “No Fly Zone” account for in 2016?

Previous question: Who will be this year’s Malik Jackson?

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