The Denver Broncos host the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. It’s a shot for Denver to earn their fourth straight victory. Even better, the Broncos can be the top team in the AFC West by beating the Chiefs. In order to make that happen, these three players will have to perform at a high level.
Bo Nix — Quarterback
One good performance can be a catalyst and confidence boost for players hoping to get things going in the right direction. It wasn’t perfect by any means, but quarterback Bo Nix’s outing versus the Arizona Cardinals
had quite a few bright spots. It also answered a few lingering questions Broncos Country and many analysts.
The concerns on Nix’s ability to run should be put to bed after his transcendent 62-yard touchdown gallop. What I liked even more was his aggressiveness and willingness to throw the ball down the field. Nix was able to make some tight down the field throws against Cover 2 shells and delivered a handful of impressive throws on middle of the field concepts. Those splash plays were hard to come by in prior games.
Steve Spagnuolo’s defense has been one of the best in the NFL to start the season. Even though their top two corners from last season are playing elsewhere, their passing defense has still been stellar. They’ve done a good job limiting explosive plays and keeping most top targets from doing much damage through the air.
Nix and the Broncos’ aerial attack had just 115 passing yards in Week 1. That won’t be good enough to earn a victory on Sunday, so improvement will be necessary. Keep in mind, the Chiefs have forced ten turnovers in six games, with two in four contests—including two against the Broncos on Monday Night Football. Nix will need to find a way to be effective and not turn the ball over.
Alex Singleton — Linebacker
Alex Singleton’s Week 1 outing against the Chiefs was a big disappointment. Though it’s safe to say Singleton has really turned things around since then. In fact, this last three game stretch might be the best Broncos Country has seen from Singleton donning orange and blue.
Against the Cardinals, Singleton was a heat-seeking missile. He notched an incredible 19 tackles and came away with several quarterback pressures and a key sack. That earned him AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors.
Running back Kenneth Walker has been an explosive playmaker for the Chiefs. He is the engine that makes their offense go and certainly one of the NFL’s premier offensive weapons. Everyone knows limiting his impact is a big key to the game. Walker was absolutely dominant in Kansas City’s Week 1 pummeling of the Broncos.
However, the Seattle Seahawks found a way to shut last year’s Super Bowl MVP in their Week 7 win over the Chiefs. He can be stopped. This time around, I’m optimistic Singleton and the Broncos’ defense will execute far better this time around and slow down Kansas City’s rushing attack.
Jonah Coleman — Running Back
As the Broncos gear up for the second half stretch of the season, establishing a formidable rushing attack will be critical. Last week against the Cardinals, the Broncos put together their best run game performance of the season. Rookie running back Jonah Coleman was a big part of that and was productive with his touches.
After the game, Head Coach Sean Payton vowed to get Coleman more touches moving forward. That seems like a good bet with RJ Harvey’s status versus the Chiefs in doubt. I expect this to be a tough and gritty matchup with both teams trying to dictate the pace of the game on the ground.
Denver’s offense has struggled to convert third downs all season long. There is no simple fix to that issue. However, I believe getting quality yards on early downs would certainly help. They have been in far too many third-and-long situations.
Head Coach Sean Payton has been insistent trying to rectify the Broncos’ first down passing woes since he took over playcalling duties. This Sunday, I’d like to see a little more emphasis running consistently on first down—especially early on in games.
Coleman has performed well that regard in limited playing time. He is averaging 4.7 yards per carry on first downs. He’s also more effective than J.K. Dobbins on second down rushes. I’d like to see Denver showcase the rookie running back against the Chiefs. It’s a big opportunity for him to show he should be leading the Broncos’ rushing group moving forward.
