The Denver Broncos take to the road in Week 7 to battle the Arizona Cardinals in a key game for both teams.
For the Broncos, they have finished what most people viewed as a brutal six-game stretch to open the season. After getting out of that with a record of 4-2, a loss to the 2-4 Cardinals would be a huge setback. That said, the Cardinals are fresh off a big upset win over the Los Angeles Rams last Sunday and should not be viewed as a walk in the park.
On the injury front for the Broncos, safety Talanoa Hufanga, outside linebacker Jonah Elliss and reserve running back Tyler Badie will all be out of the lineup. It seems unlikely that Pat Surtain II plays, either. However, there is a good chance that rookie running back Jonah Coleman will return
to the field after dealing with an ankle injury, though he might be on a snap count.
The Cardinals will be without their own rookie running back, Jeremiyah Love and after trading away Marvin Harrison Jr. earlier this month, should be limited offensively.
Looking at this matchup, here are four bold predictions that would weigh heavily in the favor of the road team getting its fifth victory.
Denver Broncos' Week 7 bold predictions
1. Bo Nix bounces back
If not now, when? If Bo Nix struggles against this Cardinals defense, he may not get out of the funk that he is in anytime soon.
This shouldn't be a bold prediction, but after the way Nix played against the Seattle Seahawks in his last game, it's a massive prediction. There has been talk of Nix being benched; that's how bad he was.
With 10 days to prepare, he'll play much better here and hopefully start a new trend for the rest of this season.
Bold prediction: Nix throws for 250+ yards and two touchdowns
2. Jaylen Waddle posts big numbers
Jaylen Waddle has had one game this season (Week 2 vs. Jacksonville) in which he posted big numbers. If you take that game away, he is averaging 2.8 catches for 18 yards per game. That's not the kind of return the team was hoping for when it traded for him this offseason.
Waddle dealt with a chest injury this week that put his playing status in question, but he's good to go and will put together a big performance.
Bold prediction: Waddle has 100+ receiving yards and one touchdown
3. Jonathon Cooper leads sack attack
After being removed from the commissioner's exempt list, the Broncos will finally have Jonathon Cooper back on the field. The team has missed his pressure on quarterbacks, and he will make a huge statement in his return.
Bold prediction: Cooper has two of the Broncos' five sacks in this game
4. Broncos keep Cardinals out of the end zone
This might be getting too bold, but the Broncos' defense has been terrific this season and should be well prepared for this game. No disrespect to the Cardinals' offense, but they won't have any answers for what Vance Joseph throws at them in this game.
The Broncos' defensive front will bottle up the running game and the secondary, even without Surtain, and will make life hard on Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett, who will also be under a tough amount of pressure from Denver's edge rushers. The Cardinals will put points on the board, but they won't score a touchdown.
Bold prediction: Broncos win, 24-12.
Social: Follow Broncos Wire on Facebook and Twitter/X!
This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: 4 bold predictions for Broncos’ game vs. Cardinals
