The Denver Broncos find themselves sporting a 1-1 record to start the season. This Sunday, they will square off in a key AFC West matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers who have a 2-0 record. It may just be Week 3 of the season but make no mistake about it—this game will have significant implications for both team’s playoff aspirations and their desire to unseat the Chiefs as kings of the division. In order for the Broncos to make a statement win on the road, I am looking for these three players
to have big games.
Alex Singleton — Inside Linebacker
Voted a team captain and wearing the green dot on defense, veteran inside linebacker Alex Singleton is an important leader and communicator on defense. Coming off a season ending ACL tear in 2024, the 31-year-old veteran is hoping to embark on a comeback campaign to help the team ascend to greater heights in 2025. Unfortunately, Singleton hasn’t played well to start his 2025 campaign and struggled greatly in Week 2 versus the Colts.
Sunday’s matchup versus the Chargers will be an important game for him and the rest of the defense. If Singleton continues to struggle, Head Coach Sean Payton and Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph will need to have a serious sit down and consider the best move forward. At some point in time, they believe free agent acquisition Dre Greenlaw will be ready to come in and play—but that isn’t going to be this week—and who actually knows when that will be.
Troy Franklin — Wide Receiver
Last week I had authored the importance of veteran Courtland Sutton stepping up and having a big game. Unfortunately, the Colts’ creative defense was able to stifle any connection Bo Nix could have with Sutton. In turn, that allowed for wide receiver Troy Franklin to have a tremendous game.
Franklin caught 8 of 9 targets for 89 yards and a touchdown. He also had one run on a jet sweep for 11 yards and notched 100 all-purpose yards. It was tremendous to see the second-year pro take flight and demonstrate his potential. His routes are crisper, he’s added a lot of strength, and his deep ball tracking appears to have gotten a lot better.
Tight end Evan Engram’s status is in doubt for Sunday, which may provide Franklin with even more opportunities as a receiver. The Chargers’ defense, primarily a heavy zone, does a great job at keeping plays in front of them and limit opposing quarterbacks to just 3.2 yards per attempt through the air. Here is to hoping Franklin’s speed and separation abilities can help ignite the Broncos’ offense to another fast start this weekend.
Patrick Surtain II — Cornerback
The reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year suffered a setback against the Colts after tweaking his left ankle during the game. Deploying a unique offense attack, Shane Steichen utilized a number of different players to go up against the vaunted All-Pro. Surtain was targeted 9 times (4 prior to injury, 5 after) and allowed 7 receptions for 61 yards against the Colts. He also amassed 11 tackles which was the first time in his career he had a game over ten.
It wasn’t an awful performance by Surtain by any means, but it had been a long time since an opposing team decided to go after him that much. Joseph was aggressive and called a lot of Cover 1 against the Colts. Despite getting adequate pressure, the Broncos were able to only coral Jones for two sacks throughout the entire game. That was a big reason why their coverage struggled and hopefully.
While I’m not concerned with Surtain in the least, choosing him as a player to have a rebound game is apt. They will need him to be at his best to limit the aerial attack of the Chargers led by Justin Herbert. I’d expect a lot of one-on-one battles going up against Quentin Johnson, but don’t be surprised if he draws some matchups against long-time veteran Keenan Allen. It would be awesome if Surtain could come up with a big interception to help turn the game’s fortune and tides in the Broncos’ favor.
