3 Keys to a Broncos Victory Over Commanders in Week 2
Denver, CO. — After a 17-16 defeat against the Las Vegas Raiders last Sunday, the Denver Broncos will attempt to dig themselves out of the early rut in which they began the season.
For the week two matchup, the 1-0 Washington Commanders come to town this Sunday as the Broncos host their second consecutive home game at Empower Field at Mile High. While the Broncos are still reeling from a heartbreaking finish against a divisional foe, the Commanders come to town having won their season opener against the Arizona Cardinals.
On paper, the first two games of Denver’s regular season schedule were supposed to be easy wins, if there is such a thing in the NFL. But as the Broncos quickly realized, victory is never promised, and dramatic improvements must be made immediately if this team wants to boast a winning record, let alone make it to the postseason.
But what do we know about the Commanders coming out of Week 1? I'll break it down as I reveal my three keys to a Broncos victory in the Mile High City this week.
Stop RB Brian Robinson Jr.
When you turn on the film from the Commanders-Cardinals game from last week, it’s obvious that Washington offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy is utilizing Robinson as the tip of the spear. The second-year Alabama back, who was selected in the third round of the 2022 draft, carried the football 19 times for 59 yards, five first downs, and averaged 3.1 yards per carry. Robinson also caught one pass for seven yards and a touchdown for a total of 66 yards from scrimmage in the season opener.
The 6-foot-1, 228-pound running back’s performance doesn’t jump off the page in the box score, nor does it boast especially well for fantasy football gamblers. But what Robinson’s level of production did against the Cardinals was move the chains and, more importantly, allowed Washington to control the clock.
In a one-possession game down 16-10 late in the third quarter, the Commanders offense rallied as Robinson and company continued to control the ball for 8:47 in the final quarter. The conclusion of multiple fourth-quarter drives eventually led to a 33-yard field goal from kicker Joey Slye to conclude the game, 20-16.
The Broncos did a decent enough job of containing Josh Jacobs last week, who logged similar stats to Brian Robinson in Week 1's matchup. However, the Commanders are schematically an entirely different team that understands a front-facing rushing attack is likely its most dangerous method to attack defenses due to a beleaguered offensive line and an inexperienced QB.
Remember, Bieniemy made his bones as a National Champion running back for Colorado in 1990 and later found success in the NFL, which helped springboard him to his current position as a playcaller in Washington. The Broncos have to stop Robinson from leading the Commanders' rushing attack.
Pass Rush Posse Must Pummel QB Sam Howell
The Broncos' pass rushers and front seven were on a milk carton last Sunday after the entire Denver defense went missing in action when it came to bringing down Raiders QB Jimmy Garoppolo. In my last takeaways article, I lamented the level of dysfunction and disarray that defensive coordinator Vance Joseph’s defense was mired in as the Broncos failed to log a single sack and only hit the opposing QB three times.
Suffice to say, while the rest of Broncos Country was outraged over kicker Wil Lutz's less-than-illustrious debut, I was frustrated over the lack of a pass rush after reporting all summer long that defenders like Jonathon Cooper, Nik Bonitto, Frank Clark, and Zach Allen were all getting after the QB with gusto.
Now Clark is set to miss a couple of games with a hip injury. Denver’s defense can ill afford another AWOL scenario from its talented corps of players that line the trenches.
Last week at home against the Cardinals, Howell was sacked six times, including a fumble that was recovered by Arizona for a scoop-and-score defensive touchdown. Washington's O-line has struggled for a large portion of training camp and the preseason in beefing up its trenches to protect Howell in pass protection. Consequently, Bieniemy has placed a heavy emphasis on running the football to camouflage some of the weaknesses of the O-line.
Howell finished the opener 19-of-31 for 202 yards, with 10 first downs, one touchdown, and an interception. The 22-year-old from North Carolina also showed his athleticism in a six-yard scramble in the fourth quarter that helped seal Washington’s victory over Arizona.
At 6-foot-1, 220 pounds, Howell has a physique and mobility that rivals the mold of Broncos QB Russell Wilson. Expect a variety of off-platform throws paired with elements of schoolyard ball, as Howell will be setting up plays on the run.
It’s simple in this one, folks; the Broncos must plant No. 14 on his back. It should be possible to frustrate a young QB who’s making his third NFL start in a hostile environment.
Make Marvelous Mims a Priority
I’ll be the first to admit that I was less than thrilled when Oklahoma wideout Marvin Mims Jr. became the first draft pick of the Sean Payton era. I felt that the receiver depth in Denver was booked to capacity with talent and playmakers.
But here we are in the second week of the regular season without Tim Patrick (IR), KJ Hamler (waived), Jerry Jeudy (been injured), and tight end Greg Dulcich, the last of whom suffered a hamstring injury against the Raiders and will miss multiple games. Perhaps supplementing the wide receiver room was a smart, preemptive move.
Drafted with the No. 63 overall pick in the second round, Mims logged 17 snaps with two receptions for nine yards in his NFL debut, in addition to returning two kickoffs for 55 yards with a long of 30 as the rookie nearly made a house call in the second half of the Raiders game.
Due to the Raiders' heavy zone coverage for most of the game, Wilson and his receivers were unable to get the football deep and down the field, instead opting to take what Vegas was giving them, resulting in a dink-and-dunk offense that moved the chains but didn’t score enough points.
Mims is a speed demon with a 4.38-second speed that caught the attention of Broncos personnel at the NFL Combine. Despite battling separate hamstring issues for the duration of training camp, the rookie has assimilated with his new team very well and seems prepared for game action as both a receiver and returner.
It’s only a matter of time before Mims breaks a return for a score, but don’t be surprised if he’s more prioritized in this week’s game plan. Courtland Sutton caught a five-yard touchdown pass from Wilson on a broken play that gave the Broncos a 13-10 lead heading into halftime last Sunday, while Lil ’Jordan Humphrey also scored on the opening drive.
So, whether Jeudy returns to the lineup this week or not, we can expect defenses to have their eyes on Sutton and Humphrey, which means that Mims could be an unsuspecting target for the Broncos.
Follow Mile High Huddle on Twitter and Facebook.
Subscribe to Mile High Huddle on YouTube for daily Broncos live-stream podcasts!
