Mile High Roundtable: Broncos vs Bucs | Week 3 | Predictions & Picks
James Campbell (@JamesC_MHH) 1-1: The Denver Broncos have nearly $47M in contracts on the injured reserve, while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have just $3.5M. Ultimately, health matters, and this one could get real ugly for the Broncos. The Bucs have a good defense and an improving offense. Tom Brady won't end up with a winning record against Denver but it will be a long day for a young secondary. I can see the defense keeping it closer than it has any right to be. How this team copes with adversity will define the Broncos season.
Pick: Bucs 17, Broncos 6
Josh Carney (@ByJoshCarney) 2-0: A banged-up Broncos team returns home to try and get off of a two-game losing streak Sunday. Unfortunately, an old foe in Brady rides into town with new sidekicks Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and the Bucs. Denver’s defense should be able to hold up relatively well against Tampa’s offense as the Bucs are slow to get out of the gate under the direction of the future first-ballot Hall-of-Famer. However, Denver’s offense is decimated by injuries and could really struggle to move the football this week without Courtland Sutton and Drew Lock. Give me the Bucs in a brutally physical battle.
Pick: Bucs 26, Broncos 12
Keith Cummings (@KeithC_NFL) 1-1: The Broncos are already on plan D or E. Playing tough, while commendable, won't be enough to win this game. The Broncos need a slice of luck and the ability to finish. Both vital factors arrive on Sunday in front if 5K lucky fans. Melvin Gordon provides some ball control and a score while Noah Fant goes over 100 yards. Brady is picked off twice and the Broncos get a massive win.
Pick: Broncos 31, Bucs 24
Carl Dumler (@CarlDumlerMHH) 1-1: The Broncos showed that even without Lock at the helm and Sutton sidelined that this offense can still move the ball well. They are going to need a couple of explosive plays to keep this one close as the Bucs have some of the best weapons in the game coming back from injury. This will be a closer game than most think but in the end, the Broncos come up just a bit short.
Pick: Bucs 27, Broncos 24
Thomas Hall (@ThomasHallNFL) 1-1: This is a must-win for the Broncos. The coaches and players know that they have to come away with a victory and they will respond with a 'mental error' free game. The Broncos pass rush will harass Brady and force at least one interception. It will be enough to get the victory.
Pick: Broncos 17, Bucs 10
Chad Jensen (@ChadNJensen) 1-1: I want to pick the Broncos. But until I see Vic Fangio's squad close and show the killer instinct when the chips are down, I view the injury-decimated roster as a close-but-no-cigar endeavor. If Fangio tries to play coverage against Brady, it's going to be a long day. It's pass rush or take your ball and go home. Offensively, this Broncos unit has too much talent not to produce, even if it has to drag Jeff Driskel behind it. Still, without closing games in the clutch, you can't win games. Bucs win.
Pick: Bucs 19, Broncos 16
Trevor Judge (@TrevorJudge) 1-1: Part of me feels like the Broncos can go in and shock everyone in this game, beating the Bucs. But conventional wisdom says Driskel won’t play as well as he did last week now that teams have some tape on him. I think the defense keeps it close, though.
Pick: Bucs 24, Broncos 17
Zack Kelberman (@KelbermanNFL) 1-1: Every brain cell of mine — those which survived the hellscape that is 2020, anyway — tells me to bet against the Broncos, that the injuries will do them in, that TB12 and Tampa's offense is simply too much for Fangio and Co. to contend with. My heart tells me this is just one of those games that Denver finds a way to steal, one of those upsets that I've seen way too many times over the past few seasons. I know how this movie ends: The Broncos keep Brady at bay, continuing a theme that dates to his Patriots days, while Jef Driskel improbably leads multiple scoring drives before a Brandon McManus field goal cements a season-saving victory.
Pick: Broncos 23, Bucs 20
Nick Kendell (@NickKendellMHH) 1-1: Simply put, injuries suck and can derail a season. Without their starting quarterback, wide receiver No. 1, running back No. 1b, cornerback No. 1, edge rusher No. 1, and a bevy of other injuries, the Broncos hopes for returning to the playoffs are quickly fading. The season isn't over, but for some, it certainly feels that way. In to town comes Brady and the Bucs. The Broncos disciplined defense will keep it close with Denver likely covering at home, but losing another game near the end. Escaping this game with no season-long injuries at this point might just feel like a win.
Pick: Bucs 24, Broncos 20
Bob Morris (@BobMorrisSports) 2-0: Despite all the injuries, the Broncos continue to show they can compete against teams that have been pegged as playoff contenders before the season. The biggest issue has been finding ways to close out games. Tampa Bay looks like a team that might have been overrated by some going into the season, but will still be a tough opponent. I would expect the Broncos to change things up on offense with Driskel starting, and hopefully, the young players on defense will settle into their roles. This was a game I thought the Broncos might win two weeks ago, and even with the injuries, I think they have a chance to pull it out. So I’m going with the upset.
Pick: Broncos 23, Bucs 20
Luke Patterson (@LukePattersonLP) 2-0: The Broncos are all but deflated after losing their key players to unlucky injuries. Expect former Bronco Shaq Barrett to get his first sack and multiple QB hits against Driskel. Brady will exploit rookie cornerbacks Michael Ojemudia and Essang Bassey. The Broncos are probable to suffer additional injuries. The Bucs blast the Broncos, and the wheels start coming off in Denver.
Pick: Bucs 30, Broncos 17
Lance Sanderson (@SandersonMHH) 2-0: I understand that injuries suck and that the Broncos are decimated right now, but you can still overcome them and win football games with the correct coaching, execution and just a little bit of luck. Denver is still talented enough to stay close in these games. They just need a ball to bounce their way in desperate fashion. This isn't that game. Not against Brady. Even at 64 years old.
Pick: Bucs 28, Broncos 20
Erick Trickel (@ErickTrickel) 1-1: Brady isn't the Brady of old and has never really been that Brady in Denver. The Bucs have plenty of weapons to challenge the defense just as the Broncos do to their defense. This game is a message game for Denver to not count them out just yet even with all the injuries. Denver walks away with their first win on the backs of Fant and Hamler.
Pick: Broncos 24, Bucs 20
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