The Denver Broncos are coming off an impressive Week 2 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Their Week 3 opponent is the Los Angeles Rams, who earned a decisive victory over the New York Giants on Monday Night Football. They will be another tough opponent in Denver’s gridiron gauntlet to start the season. Here is what the Broncos need to do to beat the Rams on Sunday Night Football.
Do what you can to slow down Matthew Stafford
At 38 years of age, Matthew Stafford is in his eighteenth season in the NFL. Interestingly enough, the Broncos have
only faced him twice. Both of those matchups were when he was playing the Detroit Lions.
In 2025, Stafford had a career year with 4,707 passing yards and 46 touchdowns. Those marks topped the NFL and earned him a Pro-Bowl nod, a first-team All-Pro honor, and the first MVP award of his historic career. He had a rough start to his 2026 season against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1. However, the longtime veteran played much better against the Giants and was 22-of-31 for 327 yards with 4 touchdowns and 1 interception.
Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph had a tremendous gameplan to combat Trevor Lawrence and the high-powered Jacksonville Jaguars defense in Week 2. Joseph and his players will have to execute well again in order for the Broncos to earn a primetime victory Sunday night. Stafford was without star wide receiver Puka Nacua on MNF, but if he is available for SNF, that will make this task even harder.
Keep committed to the running game
It wasn’t an easy, but the Broncos were able to top the 100-yard mark with their rushing attack last weekend against the Jaguars. That was without RJ Harvey who missed the game with a hamstring injury and J.K. Dobbins for most of the second half.
In turn, the Broncos looked to rookie running back Jonah Coleman late in the game. The fourth-round draft pick had several key runs, including the go-ahead touchdown to cement a victory for Denver. He displayed tremendous patience, vision, and nose for the endzone in his small sample size.
It’s too early to know whether Harvey or Dobbins will suit up on Sunday. Though Head Coach Sean Payton remained optimistic at that possibility in his Monday morning presser. Regardless, Offensive Coordinator Davis Webb needs to commit to the run game.
The Rams’ defensive front will be without Myles Garrett which should help in this matter. Against the 49ers, the Rams struggled to stop Kyle Shanahan’s rushing attack and gave up 174 yards on the ground. Though against the Giants, they performed much better and allowed just 52 yards on the ground.
The Broncos had a lot of success in heavier personnel and running the ball under center in the second half versus the Jaguars. Let’s see more of that moving forward. A strong rushing attack will be essential to control the clock and limit the opportunities Stafford and the Rams have on offense.
Operate better on third down and perform better in the red zone
Two issues have been constant for the Broncos’ offense in their first two games of the season: struggling to convert on third down and missing opportunities in the redzone. To be competitive on Sunday Night Football and compete at a high level throughout the entire season, both of these issues need to be corrected.
The Broncos have converted just 6 of 23 third down attempts this season. Meanwhile, they are just 3 of 7 in the redzone. A big part of this can also be attributed Denver’s ongoing penchant for penalties. Denver has seventeen thus far, which makes them one of the most penalized teams in the NFL.
This is an area the team has to get much better at. They can’t settle for field goals or turn the ball over in the redzone. They also can’t afford to keep having so many three-and-outs. I don’t want to see Denver have to try and rally back or outduel Stafford in a shootout. Improvement and efficiency in these areas will be an absolute must for the Broncos to earn their second win of the year.
