Ron Chenoy-US PRESSWIRE
The Denver Broncos face the Atlanta Falcons on Monday night when they travel to the Georgia Dome. The Falcons are a great team playing in their home opener and there’s no doubt that the Broncos will have to be at their best, but it’s not impossible for them to come back to Denver with a 2-0 record. There are five areas that the Broncos must do well in if they are going to pull off the road upset.
Run the ball effectively- All the focus this week is on the no huddle offenses of both teams, but that doesn’t mean the Broncos can’t run the football. In the second half versus the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Broncos averaged four yards a carry. If the Broncos can find the same balance that they had last week, then that keeps the Falcon’s offense off of the field.
Get off the field on third downs- The defense for the Broncos played great on first and second down, but really struggled with their third down defense. The Falcons will move ball and score points, but the Broncos have to get off the field when the opportunity presents itself.
Crank up the pass rush- Falcons quarterback, Matt Ryan is going to make plays down the field. His receivers are just too good but if the Broncos are able to get consistent pressure on Ryan, then they have a chance to at least slow him down. Elvis Dumervil, Von Miller and Derek Wolfe are key players in this one.
Win the turnover battle- This is true in every game but especially this one. In a game that figures to be high scoring, if the Broncos can get an extra possession or two because of turnovers then their chances increase dramatically. Games that are dominated by offenses are almost always decided by the team that makes the biggest defensive play, the Broncos must make that one play.
Let Manning be Manning- If the game does turn into a shootout, let Peyton Manning loose. Ryan is a great quarterback but if it does turn into a track meet, then the Broncos would have to like their chances with Manning on their side.
In seasons past, this kind of game would have been an automatic loss for the Denver Broncos but they have Manning now. When you have a franchise quarterback like Manning, you have a chance to win every game.
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