As the top pass unit in the NFL entering Sunday’s Week 4 matchup with Minnesota, expectations were high for the Broncos secondary against the interception-prone Teddy Bridgewater. And with questions about the d-line’s ability to stop Adrian Peterson, some might have expected a day of light work for the Pro Bowl tandem of Chris Harris Jr. and Aqib Talib.
But as Harris said after the game, “[Vikings offensive coordinator] Norv Turner, he had a great game plan.” It was one that attacked Harris, Talib and Bradley Roby and led to a season-high 269 yards through the air, including a touchdown pass to Mike Wallace (who accounted for 83 of those yards).
“Bridgewater is a hell of a player,” Harris said postgame. “He had a great game. He got the ball out fast.”
Bridgewater’s quick release, plus his ability to extend plays with his legs and the always-present big-play threats in Peterson and Wallace made it a tough day on the Broncos cornerbacks.
“It’s good to go through things like this,” said Harris of having to hold on and pull out the win late. “It’s definitely better for our mental toughness because we always feel like we can win the game.”
This was the second consecutive week in which the Denver defense surrendered more than 200 yards passing. Additionally, Minnesota won the time of possession battle by nearly eight minutes.
Yet despite the perceived drop off, Denver maintains the top overall defense and the top passing defense in the league after Sunday. The touchdown to Wallace was just the second of the year surrendered by the Broncos, also the best in the league.
The secondary played a solid game by most NFL standards, though perhaps just a shade below the elite level outside observers have come to expect. As the Broncos are learning, sometimes success can be a team’s toughest foe.