Kiz: Can quarterback Russell Wilson handle the truth? Ending the Broncos’ long playoff drought isn’t about him. Not really. Yes, Wilson needs to be competent. But it’s a dominant defense that will return Denver to the Super Bowl hunt. And this D is very good. It can’t be truly dominant, however, without a great pass rush. That’s essential in the AFC West, where Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes rules. So can Frank Clark and Randy Gregory get the job done? What’s the chance that these two edge-rushers combine for 20 sacks?
Gabriel: They’ll have a chance if they combine for 30 games played because they both still have game-changing ability. Clark’s only appeared in every regular season game twice (including his career-best 13-sack campaign in 2018) but he’s also never missed more than three games. He’s been reliably on the field. Gregory, of course, has not been. He’s played 14 games once since getting drafted in 2015, 12 games twice and 10 or fewer every other year. That might be the single-biggest hurdle in the quest for 20 combined sacks.
Kiz: Clark and Gregory are both 30 years old. They have 15 NFL seasons between them. But in the Not For Long, is their best football behind them? The Chiefs let Clark walk. And moving to Denver a year ago didn’t change Gregory’s nasty habit of missing too much playing time. While working for different teams during the course of their pro careers, they have never combined for more than 19 sacks in a single season, and that was way back in 2018, when Gregory was wearing a Cowboys uniform and Clark was wreaking havoc for Seattle.
Gabriel: Indeed, Clark had 13 and Gregory six that season. Good Pro Football Referencing, Kiz. Their next-best totals are 11 in 2016 (10 for Clark, one for Gregory in just two games) and 10.5 in 2021 (six for Gregory, 4.5 for Clark). That’s, again, a product of a lot of missed time for Gregory and modest sack totals for Clark over his four years in Kansas City. Of course, sacks aren’t everything. Just Monday in practice, Gregory crashed down on a stunt and wiped out two offensive linemen, freeing Matt Henningsen for what would have been a sack.
Kiz: I will make a bold prediction. Well, kinda bold. If Clark and Gregory combine for 20 sacks in the 2023 NFL season, I guarantee the Broncos will make the playoffs. (OK, so it’s not a money-back guarantee … but if Gregory and Clark are great, I don’t see how Denver wins fewer than 10 games.) The trouble with this pie-in-the-sky optimism? It might be the same wishful thinking employed by the team’s braintrust when bringing Clark and Gregory to town. The Broncos are gambling both can be great again. If one of these two guys is Pro Bowl worthy, I will be pleasantly surprised.
Gabriel: Gregory and Clark have both been limited during camp and, as you mentioned, Kiz, neither is a spring chicken by NFL standards. Gregory’s had issues with each of his knees over his career. Clark played last week with a big brace on his elbow in practice and also missed a couple of days. Part of that is being smart with veteran players. But you also, ideally, want to be able to turn No. 5 and No. 55 loose without much restriction come Sept. 10. The odds of them both still being restriction-free by Dec. 10 is why 20 feels like too big a number to expect from this duo.
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