The Good, Bad, & Ugly From Broncos' 27-13 Win Over Giants
The Denver Broncos continue to surf the waves of momentum created by their undefeated preseason. In Sunday’s regular-season opener, the Broncos dominated the New York Giants in all phases of the game.
Head coach Vic Fangio and his staff must be riding high, after post their first September victory as a staff. That depressing losing streak is now over. Although not a perfectly played game, the Broncos' momentum is growing.
In the Broncos' 27-13 win over the Giants, it's time to chronicle the good, bad, and ugly performances of the day.
The Good
Teddy Bridgewater | QB: He may have quieted the noise of some fans and commentators who had concerns when he was named QB1. The veteran took advantage of the Giants' defensive schemes, going 28-of-36 for 264 yards and two touchdowns.
Bridgewater's play exceeded expectations in the opener. The veteran was dynamic and got the entire receiving corps involved. His cool demeanor paid off as he completed passes to nine different receivers and moved the chains in critical third and fourth-down situations.
Von Miller | OLB: No one should doubt Miller’s ability to still impact the trajectory of a game. The future Hall-of-Famer had three tackles for loss and two sacks. He remains a wrecking ball to an opponent’s pass game tactics.
As importantly, Miller disrupted the Giants' run game to his side of the field. In partnership with his teammates, the eight-time Pro Bowler made the return of star running back Saquon Barley a disappointing outing.
Broncos Defense: The most expensive secondary in the NFL performed as advertised. The Giants' receivers had to compete for every catch. The Broncos' defensive backfield forced Giants QB Daniel Jones to throw into tight coverages. As the unit gains experience playing together, expect to see Fangio call more man-to-man coverage and blitzes more in key situations.
Pat Shurmur | OC: The offensive coordinator called a good game, using tempo and formations to place the Giants defense in difficult positions. The oft-criticized play-caller should feel buoyed by beating his former team where he was the previous head coach. Hopefully, he will build on the lesson learned and take accelerate his talent advantage.
The Bad
Run Blocking: Overall, the Broncos did well in executing the game plan. However, the run blocking was pedestrian for most of the game. Let’s give the Giants' defensive line credit: they are difficult to move.
But the Broncos' offensive line did not step up to the challenge. Until Melvin Gordon’s long 70-yard touchdown romp, the Broncos' O-Line was unable to open a hole wide enough to run through. To maintain a balanced offensive attack, running the ball and controlling the clock is nonnegotiable.
The Ugly
KJ Hamler | WR: Missed opportunities! Hamler’s dropped pass in the end zone was shocking and was especially disappointing to fans after Bridgewater had answered the arm strength question with that deep pass to the end zone.
To the credit of both players, Bridgewater went on to complete a 21-yard drive-extending pass to Hamler. It was good to see the veteran show confidence in the second-year player even after an egregious drop.
No Interceptions: Although the Broncos' secondary play was stellar, the unit missed chances to close out the game with a timely interception. With the support of an effective pass rush, the expectation is for this defensive backfield to become a turnover-creating machine.
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