The Broncos don’t have much room for error in Week 2. After a rough opener, they’re staring at a Jacksonville team that came into Mile High last season and left with a double-digit win. On a short week, Denver isn’t likely to have every issue from Week 1 cleaned up by kickoff, which makes this a game where one bad snap, one missed tackle, or one protection bust could swing everything.
If the Broncos are going to pull this one out, they’ll need all three phases working together. That’s the setup for a bold night, because the path to a win runs through a handful of specific swing points - and Denver probably needs to hit at least three of them to feel good about its chances.
One of the biggest questions is the backfield. Harvey is dealing with a hamstring injury and is officially questionable, and those injuries can easily keep a player out at least one game depending on how severe it is.
If Harvey is available, his value as a receiver out of the backfield could be a major factor in moving the ball against Jacksonville. Denver found success using him that way in Week 1, and there’s every reason to lean on it again.
If he can’t go, Coleman becomes the next man up, and he brings a useful blend of blocking, receiving, and power running. Even with J.K.
Dobbins set to have a bigger role than he had last week, Coleman looks like a player who can matter in a real way.
Up front, Denver needs a response. The Broncos gave up a 45% pressure rate against the Kansas City Chiefs, a huge step backward for an offensive line that has been one of the league’s best over the past two seasons.
That group takes pride in its work, and after what happened in Week 1, it won’t be content with that showing. Still, there’s a fine line here: if the line tries too hard to force a bounce-back, mistakes can pile up.
The prediction is that Denver steadies itself and allows fewer than eight pressures on Bo Nix against a tough Jaguars front.
Then there’s the defense, which simply has to be cleaner. The Broncos missed tackles on 29.8% of their attempts against the Chiefs, a number that jumps out even before you get to the fact that they missed 28 tackles.
That’s a brutal figure by any standard, and it’s especially ugly when stacked against Denver’s infamous 70-20 loss to the Miami Dolphins, where the missed tackle rate was 25%. There’s no way to sugarcoat that kind of performance, and another outing like it would send the alarm bells ringing.
The expectation here is that the defense takes that personally and responds with a much sharper effort.
That bounce-back should show up in the pass rush, too. Trevor Lawrence is the target, and Denver is predicted to get to him four times.
Two of those sacks also force fumbles that the Broncos recover. Add in a batted pass at the line that turns into an interception, and the final tally becomes four sacks, two strip-sacks, and a pick.
Special teams could also tilt the field. Marvin Mims Jr. is a strong return option, and Harvey had a couple of close calls for a big return last week, but both are dealing with injuries.
Mims has already been ruled out, and if Harvey can’t play, Coleman or Tyler Badie could be the one to break a return open. The Broncos’ kick return blocking is expected to do its part and create the kind of lanes that can turn a decent return into a real spark.
In Other News...
NFL Punished A Chiefs Starter For What Happened Late Vs Broncos
A late-game penalty against the Chiefs against the Broncos carried a little extra bite this week, with Kansas City guard Trey Smith fined $6,750 for a chop block in the fourth quarter of that matchup. The league announced the discipline the day before the Chiefs were set to face the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday Night Football, another reminder that even routine-looking infractions can draw attention once the NFL reviews them.
For Denver, it is another small footnote in a game that already featured its share of physical moments at the line of scrimmage. The fine fits the leagues broader effort to reinforce player conduct standards, but the timing also keeps the Broncos' latest meeting with their AFC West rivals in the conversation a little longer. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Run Game Just Lost A Piece Sean Payton Needed
RJ Harveys availability has become a fresh concern for a Broncos offense trying to lean on its run game early in the season. The rookie back was already coming off a game in which his workload was limited, and missing practices late in the week points to a hamstring issue that now puts him on the sideline for the upcoming matchup with Jacksonville.
J.K. Dobbins is expected to step into the lead role in Harveys absence, giving Sean Payton a more established option to carry the load. For a Denver offense that wants balance and consistency on the ground, losing Harvey removes a piece the staff had hoped to use, and leaves the backfield alignment a little thinner heading into a tough test. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Land In Another Chiefs Flashpoint After Mahomes Hit
A brief NFL review of Nik Bonittos hit on Patrick Mahomes has landed Denver back in one of the leagues most closely watched rivalries, but not with the kind of punishment the Chiefs might have hoped for. The Broncos edge rusher got to Mahomes after a short throw in Kansas City, with the contact appearing to come around the quarterbacks head and neck, yet the league ruled it legal and did not issue a roughing-the-passer penalty or fine.
The game itself still produced its share of discipline, with Chiefs guard Trey Smith and Broncos linebacker Alex Singleton each fined for separate infractions. For Denver, though, the Bonitto ruling keeps alive another familiar Chiefs flashpoint, the kind of moment that tends to linger long after a matchup the Chiefs ultimately won. [Read more 🡒]