The Denver Broncos (1-2) are on the road this week for a showdown with the New York Jets (2-1) in New Jersey. Here’s a quick list of five things to watch for during Sunday’s game.
1. Replacing Alex Singleton: After losing Singleton to a season-ending ACL injury, Denver needs “the next man up” to fill some big shoes. It remains to be seen who that next man up will be. The active-roster candidates are Justin Strnad and Kristian Welch. The Broncos also have Levelle Bailey, Kwon Alexander and Zach Cunningham available on the practice squad. Can the defense continue playing at a high level without Singleton?
2. Tyler Badie and the RB rotation: Badie has easily been Denver’s most explosive running back this season. Will he get more opportunities against the Jets? Javonte Williams and Jaleel McLaughlin aren’t going anywhere, but the Broncos might give Badie more carries in Week 4.
3. Denver’s defense against Aaron Rodgers and Co.: The Broncos’ defense is off to a great start this season, but Rodgers is a much bigger test than Baker Mayfield. And if Denver’s squad has a weakness, it’s defending the run. New York has one of the NFL’s best running backs in Breece Hall, and rookie Braelon Allen is also a dangerous playmaker. The Broncos will need a big performance from the defense if they’re going to upset the Jets.
4. Devaughn Vele and the WR rotation: After leading the team with eight catches in Week 1, Vele injured his ribs and sat out Week 2, then he wasn’t quite up to speed in time to play again in Week 3. Vele should be good to go this week, so who will be inactive in the WR room? Troy Franklin could be the odd man out behind Courtland Sutton, Josh Reynolds, Lil’Jordan Humphrey, Vele and Marvin Mims.
5. Was last week a fluke? Denver’s first three opponents are 8-1 combined through three games, so there’s hope that the Broncos are a better team than what they looked like in the first two weeks of the season. Denver’s offense looked much better against Tampa Bay and quarterback Bo Nix appeared to take a big step forward, but the Bucs’ defense is not nearly as formidable as the Seattle or Pittsburgh squads. The Jets, meanwhile, rank eighth in points allowed this season (17.3 PPG) and seventh in yards allowed (280 YPG). Sunday will be a good test to gauge if the Broncos are the real deal or if last week’s win over Tampa Bay was overblown.
Sunday’s game will be regionally televised on CBS (view the TV map). New York is considered a home favorite against Denver this week.
