The Denver Broncos (5-5) will host the Atlanta Falcons (6-4) at home. After last Sunday’s heartbreaking loss against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Broncos have been focused this week on bouncing back against Kirk Cousins and his array of offensive weapons.
A win against the Falcons on Sunday would put Denver at 6-5 on the season, with the next two games before the bye week being the Las Vegas Raiders and Cleveland Browns. Avoiding a three-game losing streak is paramount here.
Denver Broncos vs. Atlanta Falcons
The tale of the tape for Sunday’s matchup. Bo Nix and the Broncos offense will have to find a way to sustain drives against the Falcons’ defense. Nix and the offense have a chance to capitalize in the passing game this week, with Atlanta’s secondary down three cornerbacks. This could end up being a game where Denver’s offense incorporates a completely balanced game plan on the air and through the ground.
Denver defensively matches up well with the Falcons offense, but Atlanta’s explosive capability is something that can change the course of the game. Kirk Cousins has a handful of viable weapons, such as Drake London, Kyle Pitts, Darnell Mooney, Bijan Robinson, and Tyler Allgeier. The Broncos pass rush will be crucial against Cousins, who can get the ball out of his hands quickly, but the benefit Denver has is that he’s not as mobile as the options they’ve faced over the course of the last four weeks.
Broncos offense:
- Net Yards Per Game – 303.7 (24th)
- Points Per Game – 19.7 (22nd)
- Net Rushing Yards Per Game – 117.1 (20th)
- Net Passing Yards Per Game – 186.6 (27th)
- Sacks Allowed – 17 (5th)
- Third Down Conversion Percentage – 35.6% (23rd)
- Red Zone Conversion Percentage – 53.1% (21st)
Falcons Defense:
- Net Yards Allowed Per Game – 352.8 (24th)
- Points Per Game Allowed – 23.6 (20th)
- Net Rushing Yards Allowed Per Game – 129.4 (20th)
- Net Passing Yards Allowed Per Game – 223.4 (24th)
- Sacks – Nine (32nd)
- Third Down Conversion Percentage – 45.4% (28th)
- Red Zone Conversion Percentage – 56.3% (16th)
Broncos Defense:
- Net Yards Allowed Per Game – 295.7 (5th)
- Points Per Game Allowed – 17.7 (4th)
- Net Rushing Yards Allowed Per Game – 103.5 (7th)
- Net Passing Yards Allowed Per Game – 192.2 (10th)
- Sacks – 35 (2nd)
- Third Down Conversion Percentage – 37.6% (16th)
- Red Zone Conversion Percentage – 44.4% (T-4th)
Falcons Offense:
- Net Yards Per Game – 375.1 (5th)
- Points Per Game – 23.8 (T-13th)
- Net Rushing Yards Per Game – 124.7 (12th)
- Net Passing Yards Per Game – 250.4 (5th)
- Sacks Allowed – 20 (T-9th)
- Third Down Conversion Percentage – 38.1% (18th)
- Red Zone Conversion Percentage – 54.8% (15th)
Notable Injuries for Sunday’s game
Denver Broncos:
- Wide receiver Josh Reynolds – hand – OUT.
- Outside linebacker Drew Sanders – Achilles – OUT.
- Safety Delarrin Turner-Yell – knee – OUT.
Atlanta Falcons:
- Inside linebacker Troy Anderson – knee – OUT.
- Cornerback Dee Alford – hamstring – OUT.
- Cornerback Antonio Hamilton Sr. – pectoral – OUT.
- Inside linebacker JD Bertrand – concussion – OUT.
- Defensive lineman Ta’Quon Graham – pectoral – OUT.
- Cornerback Mike Hughes – neck – OUT.
- Defensive lineman James Smith-Williams – tibia – OUT.
- Tight end Charlie Woerner – concussion – OUT.
Key for the Broncos – sustain drives
While the Denver Broncos offense was efficient in many ways last week against the Chiefs’ top-ranked defense, they haven’t scored enough points to get where they want to be. In second halves this season, the Broncos offense has struggled to put up points, specifically in the third quarter.
The Falcons have a gritty team and they capitalize in close games when opposing teams let them hang around. Denver has to find a similar balance as they did last week in the run-and-pass game, with Audric Estime likely getting more touches once again this week.
If the run game gets going early, it opens things up for Sean Payton and Bo Nix in the passing game. Controlling the flow and tempo of the game is going to be a huge key for the Broncos offense, especially if it means keeping Kirk Cousins and the Falcons offense off the field.
Matchup to watch for – PS2 vs. Drake London
Patrick Surtain II continues his strong defensive campaign coming into Week 11. Last week, he held the Chiefs’ new top receiving option, DeAndre Hopkins, to two catches for 13 yards when covering him.
London had eight catches on 13 targets for 97 yards in the Falcons’ Week 10 loss against the New Orleans Saints. He’ll be a high-volume target option for Cousins again this week, and Surtain’s ability to neutralize the productivity of opposing receivers could mean that Darnell Mooney sees some downfield shots when trying to work against Ja’Quan McMillian and Riley Moss.