For the first time in a decade, the Denver Broncos are playing a game with no linebacker Von Miller on their squad. Earlier this week, GM George Paton traded the pass rusher to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for a second and third round draft pick in 2022.
While Broncos Country is still reeling from the blockbuster deal that sent away the most decorated defensive player in the franchise, Denver still has to travel to Lonestar State to face the Dallas Cowboys – one of the best teams in the league.
Last week’s ugly win over Washington Football Team brought the Broncos back to a record of .500 while the 7-1 Cowboys are scorching halfway through the regular season. To add salt to a very fresh and open wound, Paton also publicly doubled his support for Vic Fangio and his coaching staff on Tuesday.
That said, Fangio is extremely unlikely to be sacked before the end of the season. So is it any wonder that Broncos Country feels like the franchise is directionless and slipping deeper into insignificance? Fans and gamers alike delve into the impact of the Miller deal, but it’s also important to remember that the soccer game can be as emotional as a soap opera a day.
Dallas currently has a six-game winning streak and is a 10-point favorite against Denver. Trap games are a thing in the NFL, and sooner or later the most elite teams in the league are all caught sliding up against an underdog.
Is that going to happen in Dallas this week? If so, it’s because the Broncos ticked all three boxes of Keys to Victory in Week 9. Let’s dive in.
Curb the furious attack by the cowboys
I may not be holding my breath, but Fangio’s defense has the potential to unite as a unit after losing Miller – a team captain. The Broncos have the highest paid secondary school in the league and the unit must do whatever it takes to stop the cowboys’ running game.
Pro Bowl running back Ezekiel Elliott only has two 100-yard rushing games this season, but he’s averaged 4.8 yards per carry and has scored six touchdowns. The 26-year-old played a flawless first half of the season, forcing 12 missed tackles and a total of 16 explosive runs of 10 yards or more.
Zeke runs with strength and a low center of gravity while maintaining his explosive ability to cut and burst through the scrimmage line. Then there is Dallas’ backup Tony Pollard, who is much more than a second fiddle and would be the starter on many other teams.
The 2019 fourth-rounder averages 5.8 yards per carry, which is the # 1 in the NFL. A racket himself at 6 feet and 210 pounds, Pollard has forced 17 missed tackles while averaging 3.32 yards after contact.
Pollard isn’t just a change of pace, he’s a home run hitter who wants to break out at every opportunity. He runs patiently and has above-average foresight, which makes him insidiously quick in the pile.
Fangio’s inside linebacker corps has been decimated by injuries, so it’s time for the defensive line to step up and perform. Blocked field goals are welcome, but filled runs and forced fumbles are even better, which Shelby Harris has the potential to do.
Dre’Mont Jones has been largely disappointing this season with fans desperately looking for more tackles and impact games. When Tampa Bay beat the Cowboys in Week 1, the Buccaneers kept Elliott and Pollard to a total of 77 yards, forcing the offense to throw the ball.
The Broncos defense had better get ready to strap them down and fight, or the cowboys go wild and send them home embarrassed.
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Don’t roll the dice against Diggs
Trevon Diggs, the Cowboys’ sophomore cornerback, took to the stage a season before the Round 2 draft. The 23-year-old defensive back has made seven interceptions in seven games, including two pick sixes. He is also a tackling machine with a total of 24 tackles (22 solos) and has played on an island with 11 pass diversions.
A product of the Alabama Crimson Tide powerhouse, Trevon is the brother of Buffalo Bills’ wideout Stefon Diggs and he’s making a name for himself in the NFL. Not only has this man proven that he can play professional football, but he can literally change the outcome of games. Diggs has already been named Defensive Player of the Week and Month and is quickly on the way to perhaps even higher awards.
Broncos’ QB Teddy Bridgewater can’t afford to test Diggs for making opponents pay to attack him. It will be interesting to see which Wideouts Cowboys’ defensive coordinator Dan Quinn Diggs assigns as Denver Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick and Jerry Jeudy take on.
At 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds, Diggs plays a physical coverage and uses his athleticism to climb the ladder of opposing receivers. His knowledge of the route tree and Jeudy – his former college teammate – could make for a great matchup on Sunday at “Jerry-World”.
If the Broncos’ offense doesn’t take Diggs into account in both running and passing, he may very well be a problem all afternoon. Don’t be shocked if you see him get at least one snack before the clock strikes zero.
Find ways to help Anderson
Broncos’ starting left tackle Garett Bolles was banned from action in week 9. He suffered an ankle injury in week 8 that forced him to leave the game.
Backup tackle Calvin Anderson is expected to start in the left tackle against the Cowboys, while Bolles is hoping to return against the Philadelphia Eagles next week.
Anderson is in his third year with Denver after failing to draft Texas in 2019. He spent a brief period in New England before moving to New York, where Denver de-registered him from the Jets’ training team in 2019.
Anderson has previously started two games as Bronco – one in the left and one in the right tackle – while appearing in 23 games. At the training camp, Anderson competed with Bobby Massie for the starting position for the correct tackle before he was named backup swing tackle.
Anderson is likely to face up against Randy Gregory, the Cowboys’ edge rusher, who logged five sacks and two forced fumbles in six games. The 6-foot-5, 255-pound pass rusher from Nebraska is a fifth-year veteran who currently has eight tackles (six solo), three tackles for one loss, 11 QB hits, and 17 rushes.
The film features an emotional gamer who drew multiple penalties against Minnesota last week. Gregory will no doubt try to tee off Anderson and is hungry to hit Bridgewater.
While Gregory isn’t Myles Garrett or TJ Watt, Broncos OC Pat Shurmur must plan to support his backup tackle on Bridgewater’s blind side. Shurmur can expect to assign blocking tight end Eric Saubert to assist Gregory if linebacker Micah Parsons doesn’t crush the right side.
Denver’s offense can also use running backs Melvin Gordon and Javonte Williams to chip Gregory as well, or leave Williams in the backcourt to protect the pass. Good coaches don’t put their inexperienced players in a position where they can’t succeed, and the Broncos can’t afford to have multiple cowboys tee off against Teddy.
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