Dolphins Week 3 Opponent Breakdown: Denver Broncos

The Miami Dolphins will look to move to 3-0 for a second consecutive season when they face the Denver Broncos in their home opener at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday.

The Dolphins have an 8-1 all-time record at home against Denver, including a 35-9 victory in the last such meeting in 2017.

The Broncos, under new head coach Sean Payton, are off to an 0-2 start following home losses against the Las Vegas Raiders and Washington Commanders.

To get some answers on five major questions related to the Broncos, we turned to Chad Jensen, the publisher of Fan Nation sister site Mile High Huddle.

1. How would you assess the Broncos' outlook for the season in light of the 0-2 start?

CJ: It's hard to say. I was inclined to lean on the experience and competence of Sean Payton in my preseason predictions, but these first two games have been disconcerting. However, we're still just two games in, so a lot could change and Payton teams are known for traditionally slow starts. Thus, my outlook on the Broncos is one of tempered optimism. I still think the pieces are here to succeed, but Payton is still cleaning up a lot of Nathaniel Hackett messes and healing traumas of the past seven years, so that trial-and-error period could stretch through the second quarter of the season.

2. In light of the Dolphins having pursued Sean Payton before hiring Mike McDaniel in February 2021, we have to ask what kind of imprint you have seen from him??

CJ: Extreme competence. The one big Payton move that I'm scratching my head over is hiring Vance Joseph as defensive coordinator. His past with the Broncos notwithstanding, I'm not sure what Payton saw as the big draw on Joseph. His defenses have always been fair to middling, and the Broncos' defensive collapses in the first two weeks are the biggest reason why Denver is 0-2. However, there's definitely the feeling of there being an adult back in the building at Broncos HQ with Payton at the helm, but the damage he's having to fix is perhaps deeper and more complex than anyone could have surmised

3. Offensively, what differences have you seen from Russell Wilson from last year that would suggest the Dolphins need to be concerned about him??

CJ: When the Broncos are still on script, Wilson has looked like his vintage self. However, in the second half, he's looked like the QB we came to know in 2022. Somewhere along the line, Payton has to figure out how to bridge that gap and keep Wilson and the offense on pace after the first 18-25 plays in the game plan. If the Dolphins should be concerned about Wilson, it's his deep balls, which are still on point. He connected on a few last week early in the game.

4. Defensively, how do you figure the Broncos will try to deal with the Miami offense and all the challenges it presents?

CJ: I honestly have no clue on this. I'm not going to lie. A) The Dolphins' offense is complex and versatile. B) The Broncos' defense is reeling right now and a complete mess on third down and in the red zone. When it's this big of a mess, it's anyone's guess on how Joseph will try to match up with the Dolphins, but drilling down to the basics, stopping that run game and putting pressure on Tua will be paramount to carving out a modicum of success in Week 3 defensively.

5. Besides Wilson, who's the one player the Dolphins most have to concern themselves with?

MD: 'd say Jerry Jeudy. He missed Week 1 with a hamstring injury and returned to the field in Week 2, though it was a quiet day at the office for him. Wilson went gangbusters early in the game with rookie Marvin Mims Jr., while Jeudy was kind of an afterthought. I expect that to change in Miami. Payton will definitely be looking to get his WR1 involved in the game plan.

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