The Denver Broncos have a rough early schedule, with the formidable Los Angeles Rams next up.
The Denver Broncos got a good look at their next opponent on Sunday last night, and it wasn’t a pretty picture. The Los Angeles Rams recovered from their Aussie hangover to thrash the New York Giants, 28-6, and the Broncos will once again have their hands full in this one.
This game was over early, as the Rams took out Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart in the first quarter on New York’s opening drive. Dart got sandwhiched betwen two LA defenders on a third-and-long, and the quarterback immediately grabbed for his knee as he crashed to the turf.
That had to leave quarterback Bo Nix cringing a little bit given his ankle situation, and the Rams didn’t waste the early advantage. Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford had a fine night against the Giants, throwing four touchdown passes as he went 22-for-31 while throwing for 327 yards and getting picked once.
The Broncos will need to get their pass rush going against Stafford, but they can’t forget about running back Kyren Williams, who ran roughshod through the Giants defense, picking up 85 yards on 12 carries. Blake Corum was nearly as good, getting 79 yards on the same number of carries.
Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II will probably see a lot of receiver Davante Adams, given that Adams caught eight passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns. They may also see receiver Puka Nacua, who sat out last night’s win with a hip injury, but his status will remain up in the air until the Rams start practicing this week.
Slowing down Stafford and the Rams’ formidable offense won’t be Denver’s only problem, however. The Rams welcomed back formerly-retired defensive tackle Aaron Donald, who came back to play alongside new trade acquisition Myles Garrett, only to have Garrett go down with a knee injury that required surgery and a stint on injured reserve that will keep him out through at least four games.
Donald has been slow to get into football shape, but that certainly wasn’t a problem last night. The Giants offense went south as soon as Dart left the game, and New York got less than 200 yards for the evening while managing just a pair of field goals in the middle quarters.
Protecting Nix will be essential, but the Broncos do have a couple of advantages. Their defense improved steadily against in Denver’s 20-13 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, and Nix showed up late with some familiar heroics to fire up the home crowd, which will also be a factor on Sunday night.
