Mile High Report
The Denver Broncos earned their third-straight win last Sunday defeating the New York Jets in London. This weekend, the have the luxury of playing in front of a hometown crowd back in Denver hosting the New York Giants. Here are three players I believe need to play at a high level in order for the Broncos to come away with a victory at home against the Giants.
This week, the Broncos face another formidable defensive front. The Giants have a trio of quality edge rushers with Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and Abdul Carter. Their starting defensive rotation is formidable as well, headlined by Dexter Lawrence, who might be one of the most impactful interior offense linemen in the National Football League.
Matt Peart was first in line to replace veteran left guard Ben Powers after his biceps injury suffered in Week 5. Things didn’t go that well for the veteran lineman who struggled against the Jets and has since been placed on injured reserve with a knee injury. Stepping up to the plate this week will be versatile backup Alex Palczewski.
Getting most of his work on the right side of the line in camp and the preseason, Palczewski has often been utilized as the team’s sixth offensive lineman in jumbo packages. This week, he will have to be at his best at left guard to stave off the Giants pass rush. Not only that but also be fundamentally sound and avoid racking up penalty calls. It’s a big test for him and I’m intrigued to see whether or not he can be a solution at the position moving forward.
Earlier this week, the Broncos designated inside linebacker Dre Greenlaw to return from injured reserve. That began the 21-day process they have to elevate him to the active 53-man roster. It’s unknown whether or not Greenlaw will make is regular season debut this weekend, but with a strong rushing attack heading to Mile High, the Broncos are going to need Justin Strnad to perform well.
Through six games, the veteran linebacker has totaled 25 tackles, 5 quarterback hits, and 3.5 sacks. He is playing roughly 75-percent of the team’s defensive snaps, the highest mark of his career since being drafted in 2020. Over the past two years, he has played admirably as a starter due to other injuries.
The Giants offense is propelled by rookie running back Cam Skattebo. He has been a productive rusher and receiver early on in his career. This is a game Denver can’t afford to let Skattebo wear down their defense and churn out first downs. Virtually one of every three touches Skattebo makes generates a new set of downs. Hopefully Strnad can play at a high level and slow #44 down.
This will be the third time Nix has been listed as a player to watch by me. Last week against the Jets, I felt Nix performed just...
