No. 1 – Andy Dalton & Tyler Eifert
As if having to contain Antonio Brown in Week 15 won’t be a tough-enough task, Denver has to turn around the following week and try and stop another of the AFC’s most lethal wideouts, A.J. Green. Green’s reception and yards totals are right on par (by his Pro Bowl standards) this year, averaging over 80 yards per game and 14 yards per reception. But he’s not even the most dangerous weapon in Andy Dalton’s arsenal this year. That nod goes to tight end Tyler Eifert, who so far has looked like the second-coming of Rob Gronkowski.
Through 11 games, Eifert has 12 touchdowns and is on pace to break or tie Gronkowski’s record of 17 touchdown receptions by a tight end. Few teams have had an answer for Eifert who has 46 receptions for 522 yards. Even stout defenses like Seattle and Arizona have surrendered multiple touchdowns to Eifert. Denver neutralized Travis Kelce in their two meetings with Kansas City, keeping him out of the end zone, and limited Gronkowski to just one touchdown on a play that had two missed tackles by Broncos safeties. The same effort (or better) will be required on Monday Night Football in Week 16.
Denver faces San Diego, Oakland and Pittsburgh between now and then. Cincinnati has Cleveland, Pittsburgh and San Francisco. Barring a stumble, the Broncos and Bengals will likely be fighting for the No. 2 seed when this game rolls around.
Between Green and Eifert, Denver will have its toughest test of the season. The defense has made a habit of showing up big in big moments, and this game should be the biggest since the New England Patriots came to town without a loss in Week 12.
