On paper, the Rams and Patriots just got better — and that spells a little more trouble for the Broncos in an already stout-looking schedule.
Thank goodness both teams’ new additions will be facing off against two of Denver’s greatest strengths.
Week 3 the Rams come to town and this time with a two-time Defensive Player of the Year on the roster. Having given up their 2024 first-rounder in Jared Verse, plus their 2027 first-round pick, 2028 second-round pick and 2029 third-round pick, the Rams mean
business in 2026.
Sean Payton is feeling great about the Broncos’ offensive line, as he noted during the rookie minicamp recently.
“The offensive line just in general… it’s an impressive looking group,” Payton noted.
It’s going to have to be if Denver is going to stand a chance against Garrett and the Rams, which was already an impressive team that will no doubt be vying for the NFC spot in the Super Bowl once again.
Two years ago when Garrett visited Mile High with the Browns, Payton recognized the challenged.
“They’re different [types of] players,” Payton said then about Garrett and Raiders’ defensive end Maxx Crosby. “They’re both elite at their position. They’re both Pro Bowl, All-Pro-type caliber players that can take over a game.”
In that December Monday Night Football matchup against Denver, Garrett had a relatively quiet night by his standards, recording 1 tackle for loss, while registering 0 sacks, 0 forced fumbles, and 0 total tackles.
But it could be A.J. Brown to the Patriots that causes the bigger issue. A regular season loss to the Pats could have playoff and home-field advantage implications if both teams come back even better this season than last.
Now with a true WR1, New England could be a major scoring threat, and Denver’s vaunted defense will have to step up. especially the corners.
Second-year quarterback Drake Maye was already viewed as one of the AFC’s rising stars. Now he gets a three-time Pro Bowl receiver, one of the NFL’s most physical route runners, and a legti weapon in the end zone.
Once again, it’s fortunate Denver will head to Foxborough with a position of strength in their defensive back room, led of course by All Pro cornerback Pat Surtain.
And once again, in a recent matchup against Brown, the Broncos emerged the victor. Pulling off a 21-17 upset victory at Philadelphia last October, the defense held Brown to just five catches for 43 yards.
Payton believes the true strength of its defensive back room is its depth — a key for the Broncos stopping Brown no matter who lines up opposite him.
“That is the one thing that has helped us so much in the past three seasons is depth at a lot of key areas. Especially when you are looking at today’s NFL with defensive backs and corners, they are tough to find,” Payton said during rookie minicamp. “We are excited to have that much experience coming back and also the depth coming back.”
Garrett and Brown will no doubt increase the drama when their respective teams take on Denver, but neither should severely disrupt the Broncos’ quest to win the AFC and head to the Super Bowl.
