The Importance of TJ Ward to the Broncos’ Pass Defense

1-10-NE 44 (Q4, 3:55) (Shotgun) 12-T.Brady pass deep middle to 87-R.Gronkowski to DEN 28 for 28 yards (33-S.Keo) [94-D.Ware].

After the Ward injury, the Broncos were obviously forced to do different things to cover Gronk, which didn’t work so well. Here, Trevathan is in coverage and fails miserably when trying to carry Gronk to the seam. Gronk gets separation easily and picks up a big gain. Ward didn’t do a great job on Gronk, but he would have been able to avoid getting completely blown by, at the very least.

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1-10-DEN 28 (Q4, 3:14) (Shotgun) 12-T.Brady pass short right to 87-R.Gronkowski to DEN 23 for 5 yards (25-C.Harris).

The thing that caught my eye after Ward went out was that the Broncos started using Chris Harris in the way they were using Ward. Harris seemed to be the guy they wanted to match up against Gronk. The 2nd team All-Pro is almost the exact same listed size as Ward, which I guess makes sense. Here, the Broncos are playing off coverage and the Pats use that to pick up free yards on a curl. Harris does good to break on the ball and prevent yards after the catch.

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4-6-DEN 14 (Q4, 2:25) (Shotgun) 12-T.Brady pass incomplete short middle to 87-R.Gronkowski (21-A.Talib).

The Patriots’ play design on fourth down was uncessful here, and Brady gets pressured, so he heaves up a prayer to Gronk. In this crucial moment, the Broncos actually chose to used Aqib Talib to lock down Gronk.

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3-10-50 (Q4, 1:39) (Shotgun) 12-T.Brady pass incomplete short right to 87-R.Gronkowski [94-D.Ware].

Once again we see Harris covering Gronk. He brings the same element of physicality that Ward did. Gronk goes to meet Harris and engages him as he’s about to break. Harris doesn’t just give way, but instead gives a shove back to Gronk that knocks the big man off balance. This isn’t a penalty and shouldn’t be one because Gronk was the person to initiate contact.

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4-10-50 (Q4, 1:34) (Shotgun) 12-T.Brady pass deep middle to 87-R.Gronkowski to DEN 10 for 40 yards (20-J.Bush; 25-C.Harris).

With Ward out, the Patriots found a weakness at the seam. Here, Gronk beats Harris and gets position. However, the real culprit is S Josh Bush. Bush played the majority of the game (when the Broncos went dime, which they did a lot of, they used Ward, Talib, Harris, Bush, Stewart, and Roby as their DBs), and he did not get enough depth on this play.As a deep safety, he should in no circumstances allow Gronk to get over top of him, but that’s exactly what happened on this play. The play also happened to keep the Patriots’ sliver of a hope alive, as the situation was 4th and 10.

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4-4-DEN 4 (Q4, :17) (Shotgun) 12-T.Brady pass short middle to 87-R.Gronkowski for 4 yards, TOUCHDOWN [94-D.Ware].

Sometimes, incredible players make incredible plays. This is one of those times. Harris probably believed he’d forced Gronk far enough back into the end zone that he wouldn’t be able to stay in bounds. Gronk force his way into the play, and gave his team a chance by catching this pass for a TD. He’s indefensible sometimes. While Olsen isn’t quite as good as Gronk, he has some amazing play ability in him as well.

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Watching how Denver matched up against Rob Gronkowski shows a number of things. First, it shows that TJ Ward was a big part of Denver’s game plan, and I would consider his coverage of Gronk while he was in the game very successful. Ward brought physicality and helped minimize the impact of the Patriots’ best offensive weapon. When Ward went out of the game, the Broncos struggled to cover Gronkowski, and those struggles almost allowed the Patriots to tie the game back up. With the Panthers’ best offensive weapon also being their TE, this study of Gronkowski can provide a few points that can translate over. First, it’s clear that the Broncos should not want to put Danny Trevathan on Olsen any more than they have to. He allowed two of the biggest plays Gronk had. Secondly, I think Ward proved he can effectively limit a TE. However, outside of injury, I do have a concer about whether or not Ward will be able to do as well in Super Bowl 50 as he did in the AFCCG. Against the Patriots, the Broncos used mainly nickel and dime looks to counter almost exclusively 4- and 5-wide sets from the Patriots. The Patriots did not have a running threat in the game. The Panthers are vastly different, with not only a very good running back in Jonathan Stewart, but with Cam Newton, who often plays like he’s a running back. This means that the Broncos might have to resort to heavier personnel, which could limit the time Ward is able to put in covering Olsen.

Regardless, it should be an interesting matchup to watch develop over the course of the game.