The Denver Broncos will host the Dallas Cowboys in Week 8 in what should be a great offensive matchup.
While the Broncos sit at 5-2 and lead the American Football Conference West division, Denver has been inconsistent to start games.
In their 33-32 comeback win last week against the New York Giants, the Broncos didn’t score until the fourth quarter. They were down 19-0 going into the final frame and showed resilience down the stretch.
It wasn’t pretty by any means, but the team was able to hang in there and fought until the very end.
ESPN’s Jeff Legwold discussed Denver’s 5-2 start teetering between good and lucky.
“The Broncos continue to walk the line between a good 5-2 record or a lucky 5-2 record,” Legwold wrote Friday. “The Cowboys' offense -- No. 1 in total offense, No. 2 in scoring -- will test Denver's defense to be sure. But the Broncos' fate might be tied to just how many yellow flags hit the ground. This team has had the second-most penalties in the league (including declined penalties). Denver has been flagged 73 times and leads the league in defensive penalties (31) while being tied for third-most penalties on offense (36).”
Considering how good the Broncos’ defense is, it’s a bit shocking that the unit leads the National Football League in penalties. Against the high-powered Dallas offense, Denver will need to minimize the amount of penalties on both sides of the ball.
ESPN’s Seth Walder boldly predicts that running back Tyler Badie will record a season-high for receiving yards against the Cowboys.
“Not only do the Cowboys play an extremely high rate of zone coverage, which encourages RB receptions, but they also are allowing 8.5 yards per screen pass, third most in the league this season.”
Another key player to watch is Cowboys running back Javonte Williams. Williams spent his first four seasons with the Broncos and had a solid stint with Denver.
This will surely be a revenge game for Williams despite the breakup being mutual. Denver wanted to move on and Dallas wanted Williams.
Williams is second in the NFL with 592 rushing yards and is tied for third with six rushing touchdowns. He also has 23 receptions for 85 yards and a touchdown.
It’ll be another tough test for the Broncos defense, but if the offense can keep up against the weak Dallas defense, the Broncos should be fine in Week 8.