NFL
By Keith Richards
For the Denver Broncos, the season hasn’t gone as planned so far. Heading into Week 3 against the Miami Dolphins, the team is 0-2. It doesn’t get easier for Denver in Week 3 when they head to South Beach. The Miami offense ranks second in the league in total yards (925) and first in yards per game (462.5). It’s a game the Broncos need to win, but it won’t be easy.
Games Notes
• Miami leads the all-time series 12-6-1
• Miami won the first matchup in 1966 (24-7) but Denver won the last in 2020 (20-13)
• In the past five games between the two, Denver holds a 3-2 record
• Tyreek Hill and Rasheem Mostert are tied for 2nd in the league with three touchdowns
• In three games against Miami in his career, Coach Sean Payton is 2-1
Offensive Week 3 Keys to Victory
Over two games this season, Denver has averaged 24.5 points per game. It’s early but that’s an increase of 7.6 points per game over last year’s mark. That said, the Broncos can still improve and they will need to in Week 3. They’ll need every point they can muster as the Dolphins lead the NFL with 30 points per game.
The first key to victory for the offense in Week 3 is rushing. Heading into Week 3, Denver is not terrible at running the ball. They average 108 yards per game, which is good for 14th in the league. Against Miami, they need to be better. The Dolphins rank in the bottom five in the NFL, giving up 160.5 yards per game. Not only would a strong running game open up the offense, but it would keep the ball out of the hands of that dangerous Miami offense.
The second key to victory for the offense in Week 3 is explosiveness. The Miami Dolphins lead the NFL with eight plays over 25 yards. The Broncos are 18th with only three plays over 25 yards. With players like Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill, it’s understandable why the Dolphins offense is so explosive. The Broncos have explosive players as well and they need to unleash them.
It would go a long way in Week 3 if Denver could muster a couple of explosive plays. They have the players to do it, but they need to utilize them more. Jaleel McLaughlin and Marvin Mims are arguably the two most explosive players on the team. In Week 2, McLaughlin was on the field for three snaps and Marvin Mims was on the field for 16 plays. That’s 5% and 16% respectively. Both will need to be on the field drastically more to stand a chance.
Defensive Week 3 Keys to Victory
Let’s go ahead and state the obvious: The Broncos need to limit the explosive plays of the Dolphins. Well…DUH! The question is how are they going to do that? It’s a question that teams have been asking since Tyreek Hill joined Miami. Just how do you contain one of the fastest offenses we’ve ever seen? You’re not going to completely stop them, but you have to contain them.
That’s going to be a tall task for the Broncos in Week 3 because they will be missing star safety Justin Simmons. In addition, Frank Clark will be out as well. That’s two key components in slowing down the Dolphins (pass rush and over-the-top coverage). Still, the Denver defense is stout and deep enough to contain Miami…if they do one thing.
The key in Week 3 for the Denver defense is to cut back the penalties. Penalties have absolutely killed the Broncos in the first two weeks. The team is averaging almost 10 penalties per game for 70 yards a game. It does not seem like much, but it keeps teams on the field at key points of a game, which has been a large reason the Broncos are 0-2. Cut the penalties and don’t drag out the Dolphins’ possessions.
The Week 3 Result
I’ve gone back and forth with this. I could easily see Miami blowing Denver out. At the same time, this is such a trap game for the Dolphins. Miami is 2-0 and Denver is 0-2. The Broncos are a team still finding itself. The Dolphins know exactly who they are. All signs point to Miami winning. For that reason…Denver beats Miami 34-28. It’s illogical, but I think the trap game gets Miami.
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