The Broncos are heading into Sunday with one clear message for the Chiefs: “we owe them one.”
That feeling comes straight from Denver’s 31-10 loss to Kansas City in the season opener, and the matchup at home is shaping up as a chance for the Broncos to answer back in a meaningful way. Jeff Legwold of ESPN laid out five questions for Denver, and the biggest theme running through them is simple: the Broncos need this one more than Kansas City does.
The standings angle matters, too. Per Legwold, tie-breakers are in play, and Denver badly needs a season split with the Chiefs. The Broncos also have a lighter stretch ahead, which makes this game look even more important as a possible launch point for the kind of run that carried them to the AFC Championship Game last season.
One of the first things to watch is whether Denver’s tackling has tightened up since Week 1. Legwold’s answer was basically yes, because it would have been hard to get much worse.
The Broncos have done a strong job of getting to the quarterback, but the bigger issue is finishing plays against the run, especially when it comes to bringing down Kenneth Walker III. That means the Broncos will need to study the Seattle film closely and send help at Walker in waves.
With Denver’s defense built on the undersized side, that becomes a major test.
Bo Nix is another focal point, and the verdict is that he’s not fully fixed yet. He showed some encouraging moments against the Arizona Cardinals last Sunday, most notably on his 62-yard touchdown run.
But the rough edges are still there. Nix also forced a few risky throws into coverage that could have turned into interceptions, and Kansas City will be trying to duplicate the pressure it applied in Week 1, when rookie cornerback Mansoor Delane opened the game with a big pick on Denver’s first series.
The Broncos do get a key piece back on defense in cornerback Pat Surtain II, who has been working back from an ankle injury over the last couple of weeks. Safety Talanoa Hufanga remains sidelined with an ankle injury of his own, so Denver won’t be at full strength. Still, there’s another bright spot in the secondary: slot corner Ja’Quan McMillian keeps improving and making plays, and he should be a factor again.
Legwold’s X-factor pick was rookie running back Jonah Coleman, and it’s an easy one to understand. Coleman averaged 4.9 yards per carry against Arizona, and Sean Payton has already said he’s going to get more touches.
J.K. Dobbins will likely remain the starter, but after what Coleman has shown, it would be a surprise if Dobbins handled the bulk of the carries.
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Roachs rise has mattered even more with John Franklin-Myers gone in free agency, because Denver needed someone to help absorb that loss without forcing the rest of the front to carry too much of the load. What makes this stretch especially encouraging is that Roach is not just filling snaps, he is affecting games in ways the Broncos have not always been able to count on from that spot, and the bigger question now is whether this level of play can hold as the season wears on. [Read more 🡒]
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Kansas City remains the measuring stick in the AFC West, and this one could shape how the race looks heading into the seasons final stretch. A Denver win would tighten the picture considerably, while a loss would make the climb steeper and leave the Broncos needing to chase the division from behind as the battle figures to stay tight deep into the year. [Read more 🡒]