3 Keys to a Broncos Victory Over Rams on SNF

The Denver Broncos addressed some of the fans' worries in their Week 2 performance. But there’s no rest to be had this week, as the Los Angeles Rams come to Mile High for the Broncos' first meeting against a tough NFC West opponent.

Like the Broncos, things didn’t go well for the Rams in Week 1, as they looked unprepared. However, that changed in Week 2 — and while some may say the New York Giants aren’t as good as the Jacksonville Jaguars, they still showed they're a quality team, even if they were missing a couple of key players.

The Rams are one of four NFC West teams that the Broncos will face in the next five weeks. This game might be the one the Broncos stand the best chance of winning, but they have to show they can build on what they did in Week 2 and continue to clean up certain areas.

What will it take to win on Sunday Night Football? Let’s look at three keys to this game and what the Broncos must do to improve to 2-1 and give themselves a better chance to finish at least 3-3 after the first six games of the season.

Contain L.A.'s Playmakers

Terrance Ferguson. — Terrance Ferguson and Davante Adams celebrate a big play. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It doesn’t appear that the Rams will have Puka Nacua in the lineup for Sunday’s game. However, while the Broncos will have one less playmaker to worry about, the Rams still have plenty of weapons who can do some damage.

Davante Adams may be 34 years old, but he’s shown he can still be a threat. The Giants didn't have an answer for him in Week 2, as he had eight catches for 195 yards and two touchdowns.

Patrick Surtain II will likely draw Adams most of the time. However, expect the Rams to try to scheme Adams in Riley Moss's direction as often as they can.

The Broncos should also keep an eye on tight end Terrance Ferguson, a second-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft. Ferguson had a solid outing against the Giants, with six receptions on nine targets for 54 yards and a touchdown. Even if PS2 gets Adams the bulk of the plays, Ferguson is capable of producing.

Kyren Williams remains a quality running back, not just in the ground game but in the passing game. He finished with 85 yards rushing and a receiving touchdown against the Giants. He did lose a fumble, so the Broncos will be looking to test his ball security.

Finally, the Broncos can’t look past tight end Tyler Higbee. Though he has just two catches this season, we’ve seen tight ends who have been quiet find success against the Broncos. Higbee may not be a top priority to defend, but if Coly Parkinson doesn't play or is limited, the Broncos have to watch for him.

Be Strong in Pass Protection

Bo Nix. — Bo Nix gets ready to uncork a pass from the pocket. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Against the Niners in Week 1, the Rams accumulated just three pressures against San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy. Between a lackluster performance, the 49ers' quality offensive line, and losing Myles Garrett early in the game, the Rams didn’t get enough done on defense.

But that changed against the Giants; the Rams totaled 10 pressures for the game, six quarterback knockdowns, two hurries, and two sacks. Byron Young made an impact with four pressures, two knockdowns, and a sack in that game, so Broncos right tackle Mike McGlinchey has to be on point.

Garrett won’t play this weekend, and the Rams' other big-name player, Aaron Donald, has yet to make a full impact, but that doesn’t mean the Broncos can rest easy. The Rams will likely be aggressive on defense, hoping to rattle Bo Nix and get the offensive line out of sync.

Young can do plenty of damage in the pass rush, and Josaiah Stewart can make his presence known — Stewart blitzed the Giants 10 times in Week 2, while Young blitzed nine times. The Broncos' offensive line has to watch for Young and Stewart, because both can do a lot to disrupt the passing game.

Along with the offensive line, the Broncos' running backs must be prepared to pick up on blitzes, and Nix must show pocket awareness and get out when necessary. He did a better job escaping pressure against the Jaguars than against the Kansas City Chiefs, but he must continue to be aware of the situation and avoid staying in the pocket too long or holding onto the ball.

The Broncos have receivers who can challenge the Rams’ secondary, and they're familiar with cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson, both former Chiefs. But it all starts up front against a Rams pass rush that is effective even without Garrett in the lineup.

Capitalize On Good Field Position

Marvin Mims Jr. returns a punt. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

I’ve talked about the Rams’ special teams, which is ranked as the worst unit through two games, per DVOA. And in both of their games, the Rams have given up good field position to their opponents.

Against the 49ers in Week 1, after the Rams scored their first touchdown, Deebo Samuel returned the ensuing kickoff to the San Francisco’s 31-yard line. That’s good field position for a kick that doesn’t go straight to the end zone.

And to open the second half, Samuel returned the kickoff to the 49ers’ 49-yard line, which set up San Francisco’s second touchdown of the game and put them up by two scores.

The Giants also got good field position on a pair of possessions, though these came after the Rams were pinned back in their own territory and had to punt. Still, the Giants twice started with the ball at midfield. If the Giants' offense had played better, they might have been able to keep the game closer than it was.

But if the Broncos ever get the ball in good field position after a Rams punt or kickoff, they have to capitalize. They can’t afford to go three-and-out or without points in such a situation.

It’s not clear whether Marvin Mims Jr. will play, but RJ Harvey is trending in the right direction. Mims can be dangerous in the return game, and Harvey has shown on kickoff returns that he knows when to return the ball or take a touchback. Tyler Badie has also fared well on kickoff returns.

If Mims can’t go, Kris Abrams-Draine isn’t an explosive return man. Still, if Abrams-Draine gets the call, he needs to show he understands when to attempt the return and when to take the fair catch or let the ball bounce, and he can't muff any punts in this one.

The Takeaway

The Rams are a well-coached team that may still have a chip on its shoulder after a bad Week 1 outing, even after taking care of business in Week 2. They might be coming off a short week, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be focused for this game.

I wouldn’t expect a blowout either way, as long as both teams come in ready to play — and I don’t doubt both will, given that they have the players and coaches who expect to win and won’t take those bad Week 1 outings lightly.

But this will be another big test for the Broncos to see how serious their chances are of making the playoffs. At the very least, they need to put in a good showing, win or lose, but if they manage to come out with a win, it would be a big step toward more pundits pegging them as a serious contender.

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