The Denver Broncos have their biggest gridiron matchup of the season tomorrow afternoon going up against the Philadelphia Eagles. It won’t be easy to come away with a victory, but it’s certainly possible if the team puts together their most complete game of the season. Here are three players I believe need to play at a high level in order for the Broncos to come away with an upset victory on the road in Philadelphia.
J.K. Dobbins — Running Back
Entering the second phase of the season, there is a good shot you will see some repeats
of players from prior games listed as a top player to watch for upcoming matchups. After his incredible performance against the Cincinatti Bengals, J.K. Dobbins proved just how important he is to the offense. I’ve already mentioned him once before, but they need him to have another stellar game tomorrow against the Eagles.
The Broncos had gone through the past 37 games without having a single 100-yard rusher until Dobbins’ performance on Monday Night Football. That’s sort of hard to believe, especially with the storied history the franchise has with running backs. But there is no doubt that in order to be successful, boasting a formidable rushing attack will have to be a part of Denver’s identity.
The Eagles defense, led by Vic Fangio, was one of the best in the league last season. This year, they’ve taken a step back, most notably when it comes to run defense. Giving up nearly 5 yards per carry, I feel this is a game where the Broncos need to utilize a heavy dose of Dobbins and RJ Harvey in order to help achieve a victory. As I authored earlier in the week, dictating the pace of the game and keeping the Eagles’ explosive playmakers on the sidelines is a key formula to success.
Feed Dobbins the rock, win on early downs, and put Bo Nix in a position to succeed with manageable third downs and good things will happen. If they can run the ball well, they will have a much better shot at having a chance to win. Being one-dimensional on the road, especially against a Vic Fangio coached defense, seems like a recipe for disaster.
Bo Nix — Quarterback
Second-year signal caller Bo Nix had been a little rusty early on in the season, but it still outperforming his pace from his early starts of his rookie campaign. He looked much more comfortable against the Bengals. Overall, I thought he played really well outside of the interception in the red zone. The Broncos’ success running the ball was a big reason for that. It took a big load off his shoulders and really helped open some things down the field in the passing game. It was a quality complimentary effort on offense.
While the Eagles have struggled to combat opposing rushing attacks, Fangio’s defense have been advantageous when it comes to creating turnovers. They are a well-coached defense with a lot of up-and-coming corners, safeties, and even linebackers who can make plays on the ball. As a unit, they’ve accrued three interceptions and two forced fumbles through four games. It’s something the Broncos, including Head Coach Sean Payton, made a note of routinely in pressers this week.
With that in mind, this is a game where Nix needs to be safe with the football. The Broncos were able to stomach his redzone turnover on Monday Night Football, but that’s probably not something they will be able to get away with on the road going head-to-head against the reigning Super Bowl champions. I’m hoping for a balanced play-calling attack that doesn’t ask Nix to have to win the game with his arm. I hope he can be decisive with his throws and not force plays. Winning the turnover battle will be critical in order to escape Philadelphia with a victory.
Alex Singleton — Linebacker
Veteran linebacker Alex Singleton has had his fair share of struggles thus far to start the year. Missed tackles and blown coverages issues have been a big problem for the seventh-year pro. With Dre Greenlaw still sidelined with injury, there has been added pressure for Singleton to perform at a high level. On the bright side, his performance last week against the Bengals was easily his best thus far and should give fans a little bit more optimism moving forward.
However, this week, I do have some concerns about how he will fare going up against a much better offense that has a handful of quality playmakers. I expect the Eagles to find ways to isolate him against Saquon Barkley as a pass catcher out of the backfield. Additionally, there may be occasions where he draws coverage on tight end Dallas Goedert. Barkley and Goedert are two of Jalen Hurt’s most trusted targets and highly effective when targeted.
If there was any game on this year’s slate where they need Singleton to play at his best—this one would be it. If he can keep his miscues to a minimum and not give up plays, that will really help Denver’s defense. I’m not asking for an out-of-the-world performance from Singleton, just a fundamentally sound game where he keeps the plays in front of him and doesn’t allow their playmakers to create explosive plays after the catch.
