Wow, true believers! Our seven years of toiling in the wilderness appear to be paying off. A 24-9 thrashing of the Chiefs, followed by a 24-22 shocker of the Bills? Are you serious? The team is still only 4-5, but they are looking and acting like champions for the first time in a long time. The Broncos’ remaining schedule includes some difficult games, including one against the Vikings on Sunday night, but this team has a chance to save the season if it can clean up stupid mistakes (penalties), avoid turnovers, and create a few of their own.
This week’s UFGer is new to the series, but not to MHR or this team – and he’s got some great predictions for this week’s prime-time game. Sunaveil is a Broncos fan who lives in New England and has Vikings fans as friends. So he knows what it will take to win on Sunday night: sitting the Vikings offense, using running backs in the passing game, and putting Sutton’s big body up for 50-50 balls all day.
Or winning with a second kick after a 12-man penalty. Basically, whatever it takes.
Let’s ROCK THE BRONCOS!
Sunaveil: The game was extremely frustrating to watch; we should have blown them out, but we never do. When the refs announced 12 men on the field, I was on the verge of exploding. Regardless, this was a huge win for us, and we now have a lot more leeway to make the playoffs.
MHR – First it was the Chiefs, then it was the Bills. Are you serious??? Is it safe to begin believing in the Broncos again?
Sunaveil: I certainly do. After declining fan enthusiasm and an increase in no-shows in Denver, the team needs to see fans believe in them. Now that we’ve defeated two teams that should have been the best in the AFC, it’s the perfect time to be naive. Until proven otherwise, the Broncos are a legitimate threat.
MHR – Let’s start with the offense of the Denver Broncos. Russell Wilson’s stats this season have been outstanding. Rich Eisen praised him for “getting it done” earlier this week, and his TD:INT ratio is 18:4, one of the best in the league and a far cry from last year. However, the offense continues to sputter far too much. What is the solution to this?
Sunaveil: Russ is currently playing the best version of game manager football that any Peyton QB has ever played. He’s limiting game-changing mistakes, but we’re seeing fewer splash plays each week, possibly because he doesn’t have enough time in the pocket and receivers aren’t always getting open. I also believe that our offense has become more predictable, with fewer outside runs and repetitive route trees that defenses are prepared for.
MHR – Sean Payton called the running game effective, despite the fact that it wasn’t as efficient as he would have liked against the Bills. The Broncos ran 38 times and passed 29 times. Is this offense finally finding its identity in the run game? Do you think it’ll work against the Vikings?
Sunaveil: I don’t expect us to run well against the Vikings because they have a very strong rush defense. They rank tenth in the league in rush yards per game and allow only 3.7 yards per carry. It also appears that Ben Powers will miss the game, making running the ball even more difficult for us. I anticipate that we will concentrate on runs to the right side.
MHR – Courtland Sutton never seems to get the attention he deserves as a top receiver, instead favoring Jerry Jeudy or Marvin Mims. Despite this, Sutton caught a touchdown pass from Wilson that had a 3.2% chance of being successful, according to NextGen stats. Even if he only gets a few targets, how can Sutton’s abilities help him outperform the Vikings?
Sunaveil: Sutton is in for a big week. The Vikings lack a corner capable of shutting him down. Byron Murphy is inconsistent and has some bad moments, while Akayleb Evans, despite being 6’2, does not play at the same size as Sutton. Evans may also be ruled out due to injury, giving Sutton even more room to shine against the Vikings.
Wilson had a lot of scrambles and a few scary shovel passes that resulted in first downs and/or positive yardage. Do you believe Payton and Wilson should include more of these in their offensive game plan? Will you agree, on the other hand, that the WR screen pass in the backfield has to be ripped from our playbook? 😉
Sunaveil: If I see Marvin Mims get the ball in the backfield again, I might do something regrettable. When it comes to scrambles, I swear every time we try one, it goes wrong, but most of our best offensive moments come when Wilson is on the move. I believe we should keep these shovel passes in the playbook because we don’t run many crossing routes, leaving plenty of room for runningbacks to take off in the middle of the field after a catch.
MHR – What are your thoughts on the offensive line? Can it withstand the Vikings’ defensive front? Where (technique or position) does it still require improvement?
Sunaveil: I’m terrified of Danielle Hunter vs. Mike McGlinchey. This year’s sack leader takes on one of the league’s worst pass blockers. If we don’t have Ben Powers this week, it could be a disaster. Hopefully, the confidence gained from these three straight victories will help the line play better, but I have a feeling our pass blocking will be even worse than it was against the Bills.The Vikings like to blitz a lot, though they’ve done it less recently, and we’ve had some great moments picking up blitzes, but also a lot of really bad ones. If our offensive line can rise to the occasion at least a few times, we should be able to find some big plays.
MHR – Brian Flores is a serious DC, and his Vikings defense is on fire. They rank 13th in total defense (323.2 yards allowed per game), 16th in passing defense (224.4 yards allowed per game), and 10th in rushing defense (98.8 yards allowed per game). What concerns you the most about the Vikings defense, which was ranked 31st in the league last year and has risen to 13th overall?
Sunaveil: Look at that pass rush. I mentioned it a lot in the previous question, but our pass blocking vs. their pass rushing appears to be a bad matchup. DJ Wonnum, the rusher opposite Hunter, is having a breakout season, so Bolles will face a test as well. Their pass defense has a history of allowing big plays, so let’s hope we can find our guys deep downfield.
MHR – Kareem Jackson has returned from the principal’s office, and Payton told the media on Wednesday that “we’re on a bit of a roll, so don’t mess anything up.” This week, does Kareem help or hurt the defense?
Sunaveil: With P.J. Locke on the injured list, KJack could be crucial for us. He’s not the pro-bowl caliber player he once was, but he still has a knack for making game-changing plays, and I’m sure he forces a turnover this week.
Josh Dobbs is the MHR. Who’d have guessed? According to reports, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell described the plays to Dobbs over the headset as he and the Vikings defeated the Falcons just two days after he entered the Vikings locker room. Can Bonitto and Cooper put enough pressure on him to make him uncomfortable? Can Surtain and KJack provide adequate coverage to prevent Dobbs from connecting with his big-time playmakers? Can KJack avoid being ejected?
Sunaveil: The Vikings’ offensive tackles have been outstanding this season, so it could be a long game for Bonitto and Cooper, but I expect at least one sack. Because the interior linemen are a little weaker, Zach Allen should have sack opportunities. Our secondary is getting better by the week, so I’m confident we’ll keep Dobbs from gaining big yards through the air. KJack is unlikely to be ejected this week, but he will lay someone out at some point.
TJ Hockensen and Justin Jefferson of MHR? Which player poses the greatest threat to the Denver defense? Can VJ’s group keep up their stellar performance?
Sunaveil: We haven’t effectively covered a tight end since TJ Ward left, so Hockensen will be open a lot. Surtain should be capable of covering Jefferson. I believe our defense will look good again; the Vikings offense has flaws, and Dobbs is due to come back down to earth (pun intended) after a string of strong performances. The Vikings have one of the league’s worst rushing attacks, so as long as Damarri Mathis stays off the field, I believe our defense will have the upper hand over the Vikings offense.
MHR – Dalton Risner is the Vikings’ starting quarterback. How many sacks will Bonitto or Cooper get if they line up ahead of Risner? In general, how effective do you believe the pressure on Dobbs will be?
Sunaveil: Allen, in my opinion, has a much better chance of getting one on Risner. Dobbs is mobile and can definitely avoid pressure, but we’ve played well against mobile quarterbacks in the past, and if we get a few hits in, Dobbs will likely start making mistakes.
MHR – Four weeks ago, the Broncos were 1-5 and facing a one-win season. Then they defeated a slightly better-than-average Packers squad, an ailing but always dominant Chiefs squad, and finally a slipping but still dangerous Bills squad. How do you feel about this team right now?
Sunaveil: We appear to be a legitimate football team. You can put as many asterisks as you want on the wins, but no Broncos team has won all three of those games since 2015. The players are upbeat and eager to succeed. Every victory boosts our confidence and increases our chances of adding another W to the list.
