Week 2 of the NFL season brings the Washington Commanders to the Mile High City to face the Denver Broncos.
Broncos Wire examines five big storylines going into Sunday’s game.
1
Can Wil Lutz pull it together?
While Week 1 of the regular season had its various ups and downs for the Broncos, it was a rough week for kicker Wil Lutz. Brought in to fill the void left by Brandon McManus, Lutz missed a 55-yard field goal and an extra point, points which could have been a deciding factor against the Las Vegas Raiders. Lutz bouncing back will be a big storyline against the Commanders.
2
Chase Young vs. Denver offensive line
The Commanders have cleared fourth-year defensive end Chase Young to play against the Broncos after missing Week 1 with a stinger. Young is the second top-tier pass rusher Denver faces in back-to-back weeks. Against the Raiders last week, Maxx Crosby finished with five tackles, including a tackle for loss and a sack, along with two quarterback hits. The last time Young came to Denver, he finished with four tackles.
3
Damarri Mathis' bounce-back
Week 2 is all about bouncing back, and no one could use that more than cornerback Damarri Mathis. Mathis gave up two touchdowns last week to the Raider’s Jakobi Meyers, and hopes to do better against Washington. Mathis, the Broncos’ fourth-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft, will need a strong performance this week if he’s going to keep his starting job.
4
Broncos' pass rush vs. Commanders' offensive line
The Broncos were not able to force a sack on Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo in Week 1. Going into Week 2, Denver is also missing a big pass-rushing piece in Frank Clark, who is going to be out for multiple weeks with a hip injury. Working in the Broncos’ favor is that Commanders quarterback Sam Howell was sacked six times Week 1 against the Cardinals. If Denver can penetrate the Commanders’ offensive line, the Broncos have a great chance to win the game. Denver defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said, “Last week, [we] didn’t have enough pressure on the quarterback. Obviously, getting pressure on the quarterback and getting him off his spot and winning third downs are going to be critical in this game.”
5
Scoring points
The Denver Broncos need to score more points. That’s the thick and thin of it. If they are going to win this season, they can’t score 16 points per game. Quarterback Russell Wilson showed the ability to go into the red zone and score points, but their only three-and-out of the game doomed them against the Raiders. Wilson’s unit needs to stay on the field and finish drives with TDs against Washington.
