The Denver Broncos are 2-0, but there is still plenty to learn about what this team is made of. Last Sunday against the Raiders, the Broncos were able to pull out a gritty victory with an impressive fourth quarter comeback at home. M&T Bank Stadium will be a different kind of animal though.
Not attempting to diminish Denver’s hot start, the Broncos are always tough to defeat at home in the first two weeks of the season, so it will be important to see how they handle a hostile road environment like Baltimore.
With the Ravens on the slate this weekend and the Chiefs on Monday Night Football up next, the next two weeks will be likely be more telling of how good this Broncos team actually is in 2018.
The Ravens are not quite as deep in the secondary without cornerback Jimmy Smith in the lineup, but Marlon Humphrey is a rising star and the front seven is as strong as ever. The Ravens have yet to give up a rushing touchdown in 2018 and the team’s depth along the defensive line and in the linebacking unit is a big reason why.
Baltimore’s defense will certainly be a tough test for the Broncos, but if they are going to come away with the first road victory of the year, the offense cannot afford to be one-dimensional. In each of the first two games, the Broncos were able to get the ground game going and that will be crucial again this week.
The offensive line has played okay this season but head coach Vance Joseph is going to need a big-time performance from his starting five against the Ravens. Running the football consistently and protecting Case Keenum in the pocket will be paramount to Denver’s ability to control the pace of play.
Defensively, the Broncos will be squaring off with a savvy veteran in Joe Flacco. Flacco has a big arm and is experienced enough to take advantage of any miscues in the secondary. If the pass rush can frequently get in his face, the Broncos should be fine. But as many Broncos fans remember vidly from 2012, Flacco can make the big play if given too much time to throw the ball.
Following the hot start this season, Sunday will definitely be a difficult environment for a Broncos team that is still discovering its identity. The Seahawks and Raiders both appear to be poor teams and they each challenged the Broncos at home, so Sunday’s game is big.
The Chiefs have looked like one of the best teams in the league so far. For the purposes of schedule standings, stealing a road victory, before the interdivisional matchup would provide the Broncos with a safety net victory over an AFC opponent.
