The Denver Broncos aim to get to 2-1 on the season after Sunday Night Football by beating the Los Angeles Rams. Going into Sunday’s matchup, we’ll take a look at three of the biggest storylines surrounding the matchup.
Denver Broncos three biggest storylines vs. Los Angeles Rams
Sunday’s game for the Broncos isn’t a measuring-stick game in their eyes — they believe they and the Rams are two great teams, and it all will culminate in a heavyweight battle in primetime.
Bo Nix, Broncos offense need to start fast vs. Rams
The Denver Broncos offense has been searching for a fast start over the course of the last two seasons. So far through two games, the offense has started sluggishly, outside of a response drive by Bo Nix and the offense against the Kansas City Chiefs after a first-drive of the season interception.
Denver’s offense got themselves rolling in the second quarter and into the second half, moving the ball well, but they can’t afford to start slow on Sunday evening against an explosive Rams team that can score at ease if you make mistakes against them.
Part of starting fast against the Rams is eliminating presnap penalties and reducing penalties in general. Penalties plagued the Broncos’ offensive production in Week 1, and they set them behind the sticks on their first two offensive drives in Week 2.
When those penalties create long fields, it makes it easier for the defense to spot drop seven or eight defenders into zone coverage and rush three or four, knowing that they can take away the vertical passing game and protect the sticks, often forcing a checkdown. That’s the Rams defense’s game plan.
Getting Nix and the offense into rhythm early with balance between the run and pass is crucial. I’d expect the Broncos to try and get the quick game going early on to try and push the pace against the Rams coming off of a short week on Monday Night Football and having to adjust to the altitude.
If the Broncos start off fast, and in particular, can build off of the running game, they’ll have a great chance at playing well on Sunday night.
Broncos defense has to get after Stafford and limit explosives
Matthew Stafford won the MVP award last season because he has proven that he can still play at an elite level despite getting older. His on-field IQ stands out as you watch the game; he identifies where the blitz is coming from in a disguised look, and he gets the ball out of his hands quickly to negate some pressure situations.
One of the bigger keys to slowing one of the NFL’s best offenses down is ramping up pressure inside on Stafford — meaning that Zach Allen, D.J. Jones, Malcolm Roach, and others have to create backfield penetration to disrupt a clean pocket for the reigning MVP. It’s easier for offenses to protect from the outside first, but inside pressure is the nearest path to disrupting the quarterback.
So far through two games, Stafford has been sacked once. He’s surgical with his ball placement, and if he has a clean pocket, he carves masterpieces. Despite their ugly Week 1 loss against the San Francisco 49ers in Australia, the Rams are averaging 385.5 yards per game, which ranks 6th right now in the NFL, and they have a top-ten rushing and passing offense, while averaging 6.59 yards per play, which is good for 5th in the league.
Early indications point toward Puka Nacua not playing in this game, which means more likely targets for Davante Adams, but Denver’s approaching this game as if Nacua is suiting up. If the Broncos’ defense can’t get pressure or disrupt Stafford, he’ll make some plays that could be costly at Denver’s expense.
Will injuries limit Broncos run game emphasis?
The Broncos’ run game is their secret sauce to sustainability this season. Right now, coming into Sunday Night Football, all three of Denver’s top backs are on the injury report.
J.K. Dobbins dealt with cramps late last week and should be okay for Sunday’s game, but will have to clear the remainder of the week in practice to be sure. RJ Harvey missed last week with a hamstring injury, and the team erred on the side of caution with it so that it wasn’t something that could turn into a multi-week issue. Then rookie running back Jonah Coleman sprained his ankle in Sunday’s win against Jacksonville and did not practice on Wednesday despite being present.
One of the worst things the Broncos can do on Sunday is allow injuries at that position to dictate whether or not they decide to run the ball. They have to. While Bo Nix can drop back and throw it 35+ times in a game, that’s a hard recipe for success for any quarterback in the NFL, especially if things are unbalanced between the run and pass.
If all three of Denver’s top backs play on Sunday, they have to find a way to use all three of them against the Rams’ stout defensive front that features Aaron Donald on the interior, where they may align him against Luke Wattenberg in key situations.
