ENGLEWOOD — The Denver Broncos are 48 hours away from their second game of the NFL season as the Washington Commanders come to town on Sunday.
Friday’s practice in Dove Valley aimed to put the finishing touches on the team’s game plan ahead of Saturday’s walkthrough.
Denver Broncos Practice Report from Friday
The Denver Broncos offense has gathered momentum with wide receiver Jerry Jeudy’s looming return. Since suffering a hamstring pull several weeks ago, his progress has been tremendous.
After being upgraded from a limited participant to full during Thursday’s practice, Jeudy is on track to make his season debut on Sunday.
Denver Broncos Final Injury Report vs. Washington Commanders
The Broncos final injury report ahead of Sunday’s game was released and Denver will be getting a boost in player availability.
Broncos head coach Sean Payton confirmed Jeudy would be ready to roll on Sunday.
“He’s been full all week, so yeah,” Payton said regarding Jeudy’s status on Sunday. He also noted that Jeudy will not be on any type of pitch count.
Tight end Greg Dulcich (hamstring) and outside linebacker Frank Clark (hip) have been ruled out and will not play.
Defensive lineman D.J. Jones (knee) and rookie cornerback Riley Moss (abdomen) will play on Sunday against the Commanders.
Broncos players to watch for on Sunday vs. Commanders
Marvin Mims:
All eyes will be on the Broncos’ offense on Sunday with the return of Jerry Jeudy. While Jeudy is a dynamic option for Denver’s offense, keep an eye on rookie wide receiver Marvin Mims.
Mims possesses Denver’s most significant speed on the offensive side of the ball right now. With Courtland Sutton and Lil’Jordan Humphrey’s size dynamic and Jeudy’s maneuverability, Mims is in a perfect position to have himself a big game.
Despite only having two catches on two targets last week and an average depth of target of 1.9 yards, the Broncos’ offensive game plan should be a little more open this week to spread things out.
With Jeudy’s return to the lineup, he and Sutton could see extra attention, allowing Sean Payton to dial up something explosive to the rookie speedster if the coverage and front shift to a favorable position.
Damarri Mathis:
Despite having a rough start to the season against the Las Vegas Raiders, Broncos second-year cornerback Damarri Mathis has the perfect opportunity to bounce back vs. Washington.
With Curtis Samuel, Jamison Crowder, Jahan Dotson, and Terry McLaurin coming to town, Denver’s secondary will be tested in various areas of the field.
Sam Howell will likely test Mathis if Patrick Surtain blankets McLaurin on Sunday. In the buildup for this week, Mathis has shut out the noise from social media over Sunday’s outcome and has locked in on getting back to fundamentals.
He has yet to snag himself his first career interception, and Sunday has all of the recipe and momentum for that to happen.
Jonathon Cooper and Randy Gregory:
There’s been a lot of conversation this week about the Broncos lack of pass rush against the Las Vegas Raiders, but so much context is missing from the outcome of Sunday’s season opener.
It’s clear as day that Denver’s game plan wasn’t to pressure Jimmy Garoppolo. Heading into that game, Denver’s defense knew how quickly Garoppolo likes to get the ball out of his hand.
On film, you can see the clear design of a quick passing game used by the Raiders based on how often they went with heavy personnel or condensed formations. The Raiders’ route combinations weren’t set up to attack deep in this game, even though they attempted a flea-flicker, which fell incomplete.
The Broncos’ emphasis was to isolate Patrick Surtain on Davante Adams and shut down Josh Jacobs.
This week, Jonathon Cooper and Randy Gregory will have more opportunity to rush the quarterback than they did last week. With the Commanders’ variety of receiving threats, Denver will have to generate a rush on Howell.
If D.J. Jones and Zach Allen can create some backfield penetration, Washington will likely adjust to combo block one of them, which should, in return, free up some one on one opportunities on the outside for Cooper and Gregory.
Keep an eye on this element while watching on Sunday.
Broncos Bits
Here are some key things to watch for on Sunday against the Commanders from the Weekly Release Packet.
- Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson needs just 33 rushing yards in Sunday’s game against the Commanders to become the first quarterback in NFL history to pass for 40,000 yards and rush for 5,000 yards.
- Jerry Jeudy needs one 100-yard receiving game to tie Rod Smith (6) and Brandon Marshall (6) for the second-most 100-yard receiving games by a Bronco in his first 42 games.
- Safety Justin Simmons needs four passes defensed to tie cornerback Bradley Roby (60) for the sixth most passes defensed in team history.
- Linebacker Alex Singleton needs nine tackles on Sunday to tie Seattle Seahawks linebacker Jordyn Brooks for (413) for the fourth-most tackles in the NFL since the start of the 2020 season.
- On Sunday, Sean Payton is looking for his first win as the team’s head coach.
Game Notes:
Kickoff for the game is set for 2:25 p.m. MT on Sunday. According to Bet365, the Broncos are currently favored on the moneyline at -185 and on the spread -3.5. Bet365 has one of the best signup offers for NFL Week 2. New customers can bet $1 and receive $365 in Bonus Bets. All the details can be found here.