Bo Nix and the Broncos are staring at the kind of Week 7 matchup that usually demands a clean offensive response.
Arizona comes in at 2-4, and while the Cardinals just knocked off the Los Angeles Rams in Week 6, the numbers on their defense still paint a rough picture. Denver should have a chance to take advantage, and there’s no way around it: this is the kind of game where the Broncos offense needs to show up.
The Cardinals have been easy to move the ball against for most of the season. They rank 31st in points allowed per game, giving up 29.7. Opponents have scored at least 36 points on them three times already, and Detroit hung 45 on them a couple of weeks ago.
The problems go deeper than points. Arizona has allowed 1,484 passing yards, the 10th-most in the league, and its 16 touchdown passes allowed are the most in the NFL. The Cardinals’ opposing passer rating allowed sits at 116.5, also the worst mark in football.
They’ve also been vulnerable to chunk plays through the air. Arizona has given up the 7th-most passing plays of 20 yards or more, with 19, and has allowed four passing plays of 40 yards or more, which is the 4th-most in the league. In plain terms, this is a defense that has not been able to stop the pass.
That’s why Week 7 feels like a get-right opportunity for Denver. The Broncos’ first six games were always going to be a difficult stretch, and there was plenty of talk early in the season about how dangerous that opening run could be. But the larger point was always the same: if Denver could get through that stretch at 4-2 or better, it would be in solid shape.
Now comes the next part. A team with Super Bowl aspirations has to start stacking wins when the schedule opens up, and this is the kind of matchup that should help make that happen. The Broncos also have a notable personnel and coaching edge in this one.
So for Nix and the Denver offense, the message is simple: there are no excuses in Week 7. The matchup is there, and it has to turn into production.
In Other News...
Broncos Tight End Situation Has Fans Watching One Ambitious Trade Idea
The Broncos search for help at tight end has drifted into ambitious territory, with Denver reportedly eyeing a player who could change the conversation at the position if he ever became available. The interest makes sense from the Broncos perspective, since the spot remains one they could still upgrade, and the name at the center of it carries real appeal because of his production and upside.
What makes the idea complicated is the timing around it. Detroit is still in the thick of the playoff race, and Denver does not have a surplus of draft assets to work with, so any serious push would require a lot of things to line up just right. For now, it is the kind of trade speculation that feels intriguing enough to follow closely, even if the path to a deal looks anything but simple. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Could Get A Timely Boost As Defensive Questions Linger
The Broncos head to Arizona for a Week 7 road test with a chance to get a useful piece back in the mix at a time when the defense is still sorting through some uncertainty. The latest injury report brought some encouraging movement, with several players trending in the right direction as Denver continues its prep for the Cardinals.
The bigger question still centers on the secondary, where Pat Surtain II is listed as questionable after working in a limited capacity all week, while Talanoa Hufanga is set to sit again with an ankle injury. Denver could use the extra stability if Surtain is able to go, especially with the margin for error shrinking on the road and the defensive backfield not yet at full strength. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Offense Faces Its Biggest Test Yet After Rams Upset
Denver heads into Week 7 at 4-2, and the record has held up in spite of an offense that has not looked nearly as steady as the defense behind it. The Broncos have leaned on a unit that continues to rank among the leagues better groups, while the offense has sputtered enough to keep the conversation centered on how much margin for error this team really has if it wants to keep stacking wins.
Arizonas upset over the Rams added another layer to this matchup, even if the Cardinals still look like a team with a shakier defense than Denvers. Jacoby Brissett has helped keep the Cardinals competitive on offense, but the bigger question for this game is whether the Broncos can avoid getting dragged into a tighter, lower-scoring fight than the betting market expects on the road. [Read more 🡒]