Broncos vs. Dolphins: What Our Predictions Got Wrong

When it comes to what the Denver Broncos put on the field today against the Miami Dolphins, it's hard to know where to start. We saw the same issues as the first two weeks, only more extreme.

The Broncos' defense couldn't stop a runny nose, while the offense lacked substance. The Broncos sit with a 0-3 record, with almost no chance of the playoffs, and are projected to be tens of millions over the salary cap in 2024.

There's still time before the trade deadline, but fans should expect the Broncos to be sellers. The Broncos have a lot of veterans on tradable deals that could bring cap relief and cheaper rookie contracts while allowing the veterans to help a team pushing for the playoffs. This isn't the year for the Broncos, and with their cap issues, next year likely won't be either.

When it comes to Week 3's humiliation, the Broncos failed throughout the game, but let's examine my predictions for the game and where they went wrong. My score prediction was a 'Scorigami game,' with a unique final score of Miami 56, Denver 24.

But that wasn't generous enough for the Dolphins and too ambitious for the Broncos. The final score of 70-20 is still a Scorigami game total, however. Let's examine where my prediction went wrong.

Biggest Threats

Tyreek Hill | WR

Jaylen Waddle ended up not playing as he is in concussion protocol, which led to my choosing Hill as the biggest threat to Denver. Entering this matchup, Hill had never posted 100 yards receiving against the Broncos, nor had he even eclipsed 75, for that matter, but he reached those marks early in this one.

With the score at 56-13, Hill was pulled from the game early in the fourth quarter. He finished the day with 157 yards on nine catches and a touchdown. It didn't matter who he lined up against; he got consistent separation and made needed plays.

Bradley Chubb | DE

It was a quiet game for Chubb, with only one tackle and one quarterback hit. However, he caused more disruption than the box score will let on.

Chubb did well against the run and got five or six pressures, by my count, in the game. There were multiple Dolphins defenders to choose from, but the revenge game component led to me choosing Chubb as the biggest defensive threat. It probably wasn't the game he was hoping to have on an individual level.

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Courtland Sutton Totals 100-Plus Yards & 2 TD

It was a close one for Sutton, as he finished with eight catches on 11 targets for 91 yards and a touchdown. He had multiple chances for a second touchdown, but the ball went through his hands, or a penalty erased it.

However, the positives here don't erase Sutton's two fumbles in the game. Ball security is vital, especially against an offense that can score like Miami can.

Sutton's first fumble came with the Broncos down 28-10, and the offense was trying to double up on scoring drives by closing out the half with points and then following suit to open the second half. Sutton fumbled, though, and it was almost returned for a touchdown, though the Miami offense punched it in no problem.

Fumble No. 2 came on Denver's second drive of the second half. At that point, the score was out of hand, but if Sutton hadn't fumbled, it could've sparked the Broncos' offense some. Instead, Sutton fumbled for the second time in four drives.

Broncos Rush for 200-Plus Yards

This was a long shot to reach, as I fully expected Miami to score early and score quickly. However, the Dolphins had such an issue with their run defense coming into the game that the Broncos should have run it more.

Instead, the Broncos abandoned the run early and allowed a talented pass-rushing front to tee off on Russell Wilson for the second straight week. The Broncos entered the half with nine carries, only eight by running backs, and finished with 20 total carries. When you build for a bully-ball offense, you have to commit to it.

Damarri Mathis Benched Before the Half

It didn't matter who was on who in the secondary. The Dolphins moved the ball at will.

While this was the best game from Mathis this season, it doesn't mean much with how the Broncos got blown out. He wasn't the obvious weak link, as the whole secondary was exposed, and safety Delarrin Turner-Yell was who the Dolphins targeted in coverage.

Mathis didn't get benched, and with how bad the whole unit was, he may be safe as a starter for another week, at least.

Tua Throws for 400-PlusYards & 5 TD w/ No INT

This pessimistic, bold prediction for the Broncos ended up falling short. After an interception from Wilson and Miami scoring a touchdown to go up 56-13, Tua Tagovailoa was pulled from the game.

Tua started by completing 17-of-17 passes before being short on a throw. When he exited the game with such a comfortable lead, he had 26 passing attempts, completing 23 for 309 yards and four touchdowns. He would likely have achieved this bold prediction if he stayed in the game.

Overall, the Dolphins quarterbacks went 25-of-28 for 376 yards and five touchdowns. So Miami came 24 yards away from reaching my prediction, as a team.

Broncos Enter Both 2-Minute Warnings w/ All 3 Timeouts

While the issues with getting calls in on offense improved, the Broncos had to call an early timeout in the second quarter. That meant Denver didn't have all of its timeouts entering the two-minute warning.

Not that it mattered overall for the outcome of the game.

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