A weekly look at what the Denver Broncos must fix:

With a bye week, the Broncos get a couple of extra practices to try to regain, or even find, the balance they want on offense. Because waiting on the other side of the bye week are the Arizona Cardinals and defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, who once interviewed for the Broncos' coaching job in 2009.

Bowles is an aggressive sort who will, if he doesn’t feel he has to concern himself with the run game, blitz wild against an opposing quarterback, even one who has carved up blitzes as often as Peyton Manning has in his career.

When he does turn his guys loose, Bowles will blitz from all over the formation, often adding defensive backs to the mix. Which is why the Broncos’ performance on first down in their overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks needs plenty of attention.

First off, the Broncos were fairly one-dimensional -- they had just nine first-down runs in the game and just one in the second half, which came with just 2:29 left in regulation. Trailing or not, that makes them predictable.

Secondly, when they did run on first down, they struggled mightily to get anything done, especially when the score was such to afford them the chance. And the Broncos struggled almost equally out of their two-tight-end look and three-wide-receiver set. Overall, of those nine first-down runs, three went for minus-1 yard, two went for 1 yard, one for 3 yards, one for 5 yards and the longest was a 9-yard run by Montee Ball on the Broncos’ first play from scrimmage in the game.

Ball, however, fumbled on that play.

And if the Broncos can’t -- or don’t -- run on first down, it only puts Manning in harm's way.