Mile High Report
The Broncos finish off their season series against Las Vegas in Vegas this Sunday, and this is a game that the team cannot afford to overlook, especially considering what went down the first time they faced off a handful of weeks ago.
Here’s how the Broncos extend their winning streak to double digits.
The Broncos look best when they have a reliable run game. RJ Harvey clearly has what it takes to be an amazing change-of-pace back, but he is still trying to prove that he can be an every down kind of guy. There were flashes on Sunday, but nothing consistent. And surprisingly enough, Jaleel McLaughlin had a couple of runs through the middle of the line that impressed me. He showed some real power, and not just the speed we may be accustomed to.
I like the Broncos using Adam Prentice as a lead blocker for these guys, and we need a heavy dose of Wham and Slice blocks by Adam Troutman to help lead the way and open up some extra rushing lanes for these two. While I do like the Broncos sticking to their Zone-heavy attack, some more Pin and Pulls with Harvey should set themselves up for success, especially if you give a token motion to Marvin Mims going the opposite direction.
One thing that usually is lacking from Bo Nix’ game is a steady attack of the intermediate range, especially in the middle of the field. And while he wasn’t lighting up that section of the Washington defense, he hit some key passes that went for chunk yardage after the catch. It seems like his eyes are starting to hit that part of the field more, rather than looking deep or just checking it down if nothing is there.
If Nix can keep developing this part of his game, and if Sean Payton can target this weak linebacking corps of the Raiders, then that will only help with opening up the deeper parts of the field so Denver can take their handful of shots they like to do each game.
And with Courtland Sutton getting his mandatory one bad game against the Raiders a year out of the way, maybe Sutton can be the guy that helps tear up this section of the Vegas defense.
The Raiders are unsurprisingly the second-worst team in the league when it comes to giving up sacks. It’s almost like they should have bolstered this position in the draft rather than taking a running back that can do nothing behind it. I’m not complaining though. Vegas has given up 46 sacks so far this year, just two less than the Titans. This comes out to just about four sacks a game.
Earlier in the year, the Broncos brought the heat, getting to Smith six times. Over the last three games since...
