After spending four of the first six weeks of the 2025 regular season on the road, the Denver Broncos find themselves back in the familiar comfort of Dove Valley. Halfway through October, they boast a 4-2 record heading into this weekend’s matchup against the New York Giants. Winners of three straight, the Broncos have the ability to make it four in a row with a win on Sunday. Achieving that fifth win is crucial, especially in a super competitive AFC.
While the Giants may just have two wins, they
have a little bit more moxie and confidence than they did early on in the season. After replacing Russell Wilson with first-round pick Jaxson Dart, their offense appears to be revitalized. In addition to Dart making plays through the air and on the ground, fourth-round rookie running back Cam Skattebo has been a punishing runner between the tackles.
No game in the NFL is an easy game, and the Broncos can’t afford to underestimate the Giants. In order to come away with a victory on Sunday, Denver’s ferocious defense is going to have to ensure New York’s rookie QB-RB duo is kept in check. After practice Wednesday, reigning Defensive Player of the Year Patrick Surtain II gave his thoughts on what he has seen from Dart several games into his NFL career.
“The team is rallying behind him. He is very confident. It seems like he’s playing with a chip on his shoulder. You can just see the poise and intangibles. He can make every throw across the field. A very underrated part of his game is his scrambling ability and his ability to create second-chance opportunities for his offense on his feet,” Surtain stated offering praise for the rookie signal caller.
But it’s not just a youthful offense with a spark the Broncos have to be worried about on Sunday. The Giants have a very impressive defensive front headlined by Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and Abdul Carter as their potent trio of edge rushers. Additionally, their starting interior defensive lineman grouping of Roy Robertson-Harris, Dexter Lawrence, and Rakeem Nunez-Roches is also quite formidable.
Last week against the Jets, the Broncos’ offensive line had some issues dealing with pressure—especially Matt Peart—who struggled all game but was revealed to be dealing with a significant knee injury. This week against the Giants, the Broncos’ top offensive linemen are going to have to be much better protecting Nix. Not only that, but they will also have to do a better job paving the way for J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey in the running game.
“You just go through the group, and there’s a lot of first-round picks there that are playing with a ton of confidence. Usually there are one or two. This week, there’s a number of them across the front, different than anyone we’ve played to date. The interior linemen, they’re just rushing the passer well. They’re able to rotate guys in, and it’s been really effective,” stated Head Coach Sean Payton who had high praise for the Giants’ defensive front.
While the Giants have been strong up front, their secondary has struggled in a variety of fashions. They’ve given up the fourth most passing yards in the league. Moreover, they are tied for seventh with respect to most first down conversions through the air. That should provide an opportunity for Bo Nix and the offense to get things going through the air. And Payton knows improving their passing efficiency is something they need to rectify quickly in order to perform at the highest level possible.
“I think it’s something that we have to have a heightened awareness to and the attention to detail. It’s the little things. It’s reducing in the plan. That has to happen fast,” Payton remarked.
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