NFL
By Keith Richards
There’s no other way to say it: The Broncos got their teeth kicked in by the Dolphins in Week 3. For many Broncos fans, the 70-20 loss against Miami was one of the lowest points in franchise history. In Week 4, Denver heads to the Windy City to face Chicago. Both teams are undefeated and coming in with issues. So, in the battle of the downtrodden in Week 4, the Broncos absolutely cannot lose.
Game Notes
• In a sense, Week 4 is the rubber match with the series being 8-8 all time
• The teams have not faced each other since 2023, with the Bears winning 16-14
• In seven games at Solider Field, the Broncos are 3-4; the last win coming in 2015
• Broncos enter Week 4 with a -53 point differential. The Bears have a -59 point differential; that’s 30th and 32nd in the league respectively
• Sean Payton is 6-3 versus the Bears throughout his career
Week 4 Offensive Key to Victory
Heading into Week 4, whether fans can see it or not, the offense has improved and continues to improve. Last season, Russell Wilson averaged 234.8 passing yards per game. Heading into Week 4, Wilson’s average is 263.7 yards per game. Russ is on pace for 32 touchdown passes, which would double his total from last season (16). So, while the Week 4 key to victory is a cliché, the point stands: Let Russ Cook.
While the Week 4 key to victory for the offense is to let Russ cook, it’s how the Broncos go about it that matters. In Week 3, I talked about the need to have Marvin Mims and Jaleel McLaughlin on the field more to increase their explosiveness. Mims was in on 24% of the 62 offensive plays, which is the same as Week 2. McLaughlin was in on 21% of the offensive plays, which, to their credit, is a 13% increase from Week 2.
So, the main key to victory for the offense in Week 4 is to let Russ cook. The subkey is to include the ingredients Marvin and Jaleel. In the 15 snaps with Mims on the field, he was targeted five times for three receptions and 73 yards. That’s good for an average of 24.3 yards per reception. There should be no issues getting Marvin Mims more targets.
For Jaleel McLaughlin, it’s a bit tougher. The rushing attack for Denver, at best, has been complementary this season. Heading into Week 4, the team is 20th in the NFL with 95 rushing yards per game. The team’s second-leading rusher is Russell Wilson with 57 yards over seven carries. McLaughlin has 20 yards over six carries.
For the all-time leading rusher in NCAA Divison II history, why not give him more touches and see what happens? The worst that could happen is that the rushing attack stays the same. The best that could happen? The rushing attack improves. A good rushing attack brings Mims into the picture as the increases the chances of the deep ball, which Wilson has been good at this season.
So far this season, Russell Wilson is 68 for 104 (65%) on deep ball passes. That includes six passes over 30 yards, four over 40 yards, and three over 50 yards. He ranks seventh in air yards with 519 total yards. That’s where Wilson is cooking; specifically to Marvin Mims. Mims is second in the NFL with 20.7 yards before catch per reception. He’s caught seven of the 68 deep balls thrown by Wilson for 195 yards, leads the league with two catches at or over 50 yards, and is fourth in the league with two catches at over 40 yards.
So, in short, let Russ cook. To let Russ cook in Week 4, McLaughlin needs more touches with hopes of increasing the rushing attack. If the rushing attack is increased, that opens up the field for Wilson to find Mims for more explosive plays with the deep pass. Let. Russ. Cook.
Week 4 Defensive Key to Victory
I’m not going to go in-depth about the defensive performance in Week 3. They gave up 70 points and 736 total yards. I could write several articles about the areas in which they sucked on defense against the Dolphins. Heading into Week 4, it’s already an uphill battle with Josey Jewell and Frank Clark out. Justin Simmons, who missed last week is questionable.
The key for the defense in Week 4 is to not let the Chicago offense embarrass them. It’s that simple. While degrading, the performance against the Dolphins was understandable to an extent. They are the most explosive offense in the league. It was expected that Miami would have big plays.
What I didn’t expect was the sheer amount of deep plays the defense allowed on the way to giving up 70 points. They have to lock that away in their minds and focus on the Week 4 matchup of the Chicago Bears. With much hesitation, I say that the Bears should be a much easier team to face than the Dolphins.
Chicago is 29th in the league with 250 total yards per game. That’s 148.3 passing yards per game and 101.7 rushing yards per game. Conversely, the Bears’ defense gives up 407.3 yards per game (Denver is first, by the way, with 458.3). If the Denver defense can just hold Chicago to their averages, they should win this game going away.
Week 4 Result
Last week, I picked with my heart. In Week 4, I’m picking with my head. I’m overlooking the Broncos’ 3-4 record at Solider Field and leaning on Payton’s 6-3 record. As long as the defense is not a complete embarrassment again, which I don’t think it will be, I’m picking the Broncos to win this game 28-17. I’m praying they prove me right.
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