Broncos vs. Dolphins: Week 3 Bold Predictions & Picks
The Denver Broncos have failed to win the games they're 'supposed to' thus far. Sitting at 0-2, things now get more complex with the first road trip of the Sean Payton era to take on the 2-0 Miami Dolphins.
Let's go around the Mile High Huddle table to see how our staff envisions Week 3 unfolding for the Broncos.
James Campbell (@JamesC_MHH) 1-1: This game has every chance to spiral out of control for the Broncos. The Dolphins figure to have overwhelming firepower and speed on offense, and Tua Tagovailoa has the talent of an elite point-guard-type quarterback to spread the ball around to his elite weapons, while Mike McDaniel is one of the rising stars as a head coach. The Broncos offense may have some wins against Vic Fangio's defense early, but key interceptions and timely pressures keep Denver off schedule and condemned to an 0-3 start.
Pick: Dolphins 48, Broncos 23
Keith Cummings (@KeithC_NFL) 0-2: We've already reached the point in this young season where it's nearly impossible to pick the Broncos. If things weren't already tough, the potential absence of star safety Justin Simmons raises the bar considerably. In simple terms, the Dolphins offense is 20 points better than the Broncos defense.
Pick: Dolphins 33, Broncos 13
Carl Dumler (@CarlDumlerMHH) 0-2: The Broncos have put themselves in a hole that I'm not sure they can crawl out of by losing two very winnable games. That means Denver will have to sneak a win or two against teams as talented as the Dolphins to stand a chance at the playoffs. The Dolphins offense looks like an unstoppable force at this time, so in order for the Broncos to win, they'll need to force a couple of turnovers and have Russell Wilson ready for a shootout. The Broncos will keep this one close in the first half, but a couple of explosive plays by the Dolphins in the second separates these two teams. The Broncos come up short even with Wilson having a great game throwing four touchdown passes.
Pick: Dolphins 35, Broncos 31
Mike Evans (@MHHEvans) 0-2: After letting victory do a Houdini in the first two games, the Broncos are saddling up to face the Miami juggernaut. With the Dolphins arguably boasting the league's top offense, Denver's only game plan is to play keep-away. The Broncos must dictate tempo, relying on ground-and-pound, dink-and-dunk, and the occasional QB scramble. It's all about making those Dolphins sip Gatorade longer than they'd like. But let's be honest: expecting Denver to maintain that kind of offense for a full 60 minutes is wishful thinking. Sadly, Broncos Country's steeds are just a few horsepower short of pulling this one off.
Pick: Dolphins 28, Broncos 21
Thomas Hall (@ThomasHallNFL) 1-1: The Broncos would shock the football world by waltzing into Miami and beating the heavily favored Dolphins. From what we have witnessed so far, that's unlikely. The Broncos will be able to score points on the Dolphins, but the defense will again allow far too many points for the offense to keep up. The final score will make it look like a much closer contest due to a late touchdown by the Broncos.
Pick: Dolphins 41, Broncos 34
Chad Jensen (@ChadNJensen) 0-2: As I said on the Mile High Huddle Podcast, it wouldn't shock me to see the Broncos put it all together on the road at the Dolphins. The realist in me is screeching, but I'm burying that inner voice for now and picking the Broncos to get off the schneid against an opponent everyone expects to have its way with them. Sean Payton manages to stick it to Vic Fangio with a power run game that is productive, while Wilson tosses a trio of touchdown passes. Defensively, the Broncos find a way to get disciplined and dispense with the penalties that have torpedoed multiple series this young season. Nik Bonitto sacks Tua twice, and Patrick Surtain II gets his first interception of the season as the Broncos shock the world.
Pick: Broncos 30, Dolphins 27
Zack Kelberman (@KelbermanNFL) 0-2: While anything is possible on any given Sunday, it's difficult to believe in a Broncos upset — until they give us a reason to believe. I expect the offense to continue to ascend and the defense to continue to flounder, facing an explosive Dolphins offense that ranks first in total yards and passing yards per game. Throw in the fact that Denver has rarely ever won in Miami and that it's an early-afternoon kickoff, and...
Pick: Dolphins 30, Broncos 26
Nick Kendell (@NickKendellMHH) 0-2: The Broncos simply can't get things right, it seems. When it's not the offense, it's the defense. When it's not the defense, it's the offense. Penalties, coaching... the team feels close, but it's not there yet. Now, Denver heads to Miami to play the hottest offense in the NFL. This could be an ugly outing. If Denver wins, Wilson and the offense will have to play explosive, efficient, and clean football. But will it be enough with how much Denver's defense is struggling?
Pick: Dolphins 41, Broncos 20
Bob Morris (@BobMorrisSports) 0-2: The Dolphins offense has been one of the best in the NFL so far, and the Broncos defense is near the bottom. Even if Jaylen Waddle misses the game, the Dolphins will still do more than enough to score points. The Broncos should get their points but not enough to get the win, particularly if their second-half struggles continue. While it could be a closer game than some may think, the Broncos are likely to be 0-3 when all is said and done.
Pick: Dolphins 27, Broncos 20
Luke Patterson (@LukePattersonLP) 0-2: The Broncos face a daunting task ahead of them on the road against a surging Dolphins team. Expect Colorado native Mike McDaniel to out-scheme Vance Joseph’s defense in every sense of the word. Denver’s offense abandons the run game in hopes of catching up with Tua and Tyreek Hill. Bradley Chubb gets two sacks and his revenge alongside Vic Fangio. In Week 1, the Broncos lost by one point. In Week 2, Denver fell by two points, and this week, it's looking at losing by three points.
Pick: Dolphins 34, Broncos 31
Lance Sanderson (@SandersonMHH) 0-2: If the Broncos want any hope of coming out of South Beach with a win, they are going to have to finally stick with their offseason identity of running the football. The Broncos have to limit the times that Miami's explosive offense touches the football. Based on what we've seen thus far this season, I simply don't believe that will be the case.
Pick: Dolphins 35, Broncos 27
Erick Trickel (@ErickTrickel) 0-2: The Broncos walk out with a scorigami but not one that's in their favor. Denver's defense is in shambles and broke at the end of the first half against Washington. Offensively, Denver can't put together a full game. The Dolphins offense is as explosive as they come, and Denver doesn't know how to stop a nosebleed. However, the Miami defense has struggled some, especially against the run, allowing 160.5 yards over two games. That gives the Broncos an opening to run the ball and try to eat time, but it doesn't matter in the end. Fangio and Chubb get their revenge games with a couple of takeaways by the defense and two sacks from Chubb. Denver walks out 0-3, and changes come to the defense.
Pick: Dolphins 56, Broncos 24
Dylan Von Arx (@arx_d) 0-2: If the Denver defense can't stop Sam Howell, then I shudder to think of what Tua, Hill, and Waddle will do. While Wilson and the Broncos offense has been effective, they simply can't keep pace with the track team that is the Dolphins. Denver will fall to 0-3 and hand Fangio and Chubb a 'W' in their revenge game.
Pick: Dolphins 37, Broncos 20
Ron White (@RonWhiteNFL) 0-2: The Broncos have their hands full on Sunday vs. the undefeated Dolphins. Based on the past two games, it appears the Broncos have yet to find an identity. Although the offense has significantly improved from last year, the defense has shown signs of regression. The trio of McDaniel, Tagovailoa, and Hill will be sufficient to score enough points against the Broncos. Expect Fangio and Chubb to execute defensive plays to slow down this Broncos offense in key moments.
Pick: Dolphins 42, Broncos 30
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