The Broncos Game plan should carry over to this week's game against the Jags in Jacksonville. The Jags have a young QB with a poor offensive line but the difference is the the Jaguars defense is no where near the level of the Giants. The Jags finished 31st in defense according to pro football reference. Here are my 3 keys to the game on Sunday:
Dial it up a Bit More
The Broncos had 2 sacks on the Giants both coming from Von Miller last week but that seems rather low against a line that finished last in 2020. Daniel Jones seemed to have a decent amount of time in the pocket most of the day but his poor decision cost him any glimmer of hope he had against that defense, the fumble in the 3rd quarter being a perfect example. I would like to see the Broncos bring an extra rusher such as Alexander Johnson or Josey Jewell and make Lawrence make quick decisions in his second career NFL Start. The Jags ranked 22nd last season according to Pro Football Focus(PFF) in 2020 which is less than average. Another reason blitzing more would help as it would hinder the psyche of the young QB and make him potentially feel pressure when there isn’t any or as Sam Darnold put it, ”I’m seeing Ghosts”. Get after the young QB and see what he can do under pressure. We know what he can do in a clean pocket: college defenses have seen first hand the destruction he’s caused with good protection so it’s important to get him off his spot. Also, the Broncos can afford to blitz a lot of the game because they are very strong at corner. Yes, losing Darby for a few weeks will be unfortunate but that’s what PS2 was brought into Denver for. The return of Bradley Chubb could also certainly help with if he is cleared to play this weekend.
2. Continue Pounding the Rock
Melvin Gordon should have a golden opportunity to add to his impressive season totals. The Jags gave up 150 yards on the ground to the Texans last Sunday. Javonte Williams and Melvin Gordon could each have 80+ yards this game. Opening up the run game of course will allow Stiff arm god Teddy Bridgewater to get some easy throws early and often and once again put together an efficient day. Teddy Bridgewater led the league in QBR week 1 with 95.7 and i can see him doing it again if we continue to run the ball regardless if it leads to success or not. I also expect them to use 12 personnel a little more than they did a week ago not by much but still a good amount especially without Jeudy. This will also get Fant and Albert O involved more as 12 personnel requires 2 tight ends.
3. Don’t Overlook the competition
The Broncos over the last few years have had a tendency for some reason have come up short against teams they should have beat after big wins. An example was in 2018 where the Broncos won 3 straight games to climb themselves back in the playoff race at 6-6 only to lose to San Francisco the next week, a team that had only won 2 games up until that point. Last year, the Broncos won 3 out of 4 games to go to 3-4 after starting 0-3 coming off of an unbelievable comeback against the chargers where they rallied back from 24-3 to win 31-30 and lost the very next week to the 2 win falcons. This Broncos team should come with more focus and make sure to put away this team early and keep them away because the longer you stay in a close game with an inferior team, the more pressure there is on the superior team. Luckily, the Broncos have their best leader at QB since Peyton Manning according to Von Miller so he should have this team ready to rock and roll from the get go.
My Predictions
- Teddy had 270 yards and 2 TDs
- Gordon runs for 90+ with TD
- Javonte has 70+ yards and TD
- Defense forces 2 Turnovers and has 4+ sacks
- Final Score 34-14 Broncos
You are so right, Broncos of the recent past had lost some supposedly winnable games, showing up with no focus. Hopefully that is not the case tomorrow. Great analysis!
Excellent analyses Arjun.But I think the game is going to be much closer 24 - 21 Broncos win .