ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — That's how to start a season.
The Broncos went on the road and handled the New York Giants with relative ease to earn their first season-opening win since 2018, and they'll look to push their record to 2-0 against the Jaguars this weekend.
As they prepare for that matchup, we're taking a look at some of Broncos Country's best questions about the win over the Giants, how Denver will handle the injury to Jerry Jeudy and how hopeful we are after a Week 1 win.
If you'd like to submit a question for a future mailbag, click here or send me a tweet.
How will the Jerry Jeudy injury affect the Broncos going forward? - Eric D.
Eric, I think if you told me before Week 1 that Jerry Jeudy would be placed on IR and miss a handful of games, I would've been quite disappointed. But after seeing the injury, I almost feel relieved that he'll still be back this season. Will it hurt the Broncos' offense? Sure, of course. Jeudy looked like the best skill player on the field in Week 1. But Denver still has plenty of depth. Tim Patrick continued to look like the player he was last season, and KJ Hamler recovered from a drop on a deep pass to make some big plays in the second half. Courtland Sutton had just one catch, but it was a big one on fourth down.
I suspect Jeudy's injury may help Sutton be more involved in the passing game, and it should also be a chance for Hamler to grow into more of a role. Plus, Denver still has Noah Fant, Albert Okwuegbunam and Eric Saubert — and it's clear Teddy Bridgewater is comfortable throwing to his tight ends. Mix in a few more passes to the running backs — they had four combined catches on Sunday — and this team should still have plenty of weapons.
Based on early reports, it seems like Jeudy will be back by the time the Broncos reach the most critical part of their schedule: a stretch of five division games in seven weeks. They'll need to be at their best at that point, and it will be great to have Jeudy back in the mix.
After the Week 1 performance, are you hopeful about the upcoming games? - Harry A.
Heck yeah, Harry. Aren't you? I predicted a Broncos win on Sunday and when taking a look at the season schedule, but it's the _way _that Denver won that has changed my expectations. They went on the road to an emotionally charged stadium and had the edge in nearly every category. Teddy Bridgewater was the better quarterback. The Broncos' run game was more successful. The offensive line held up better, and the Broncos' pass-catchers were open more often. On defense, the Broncos' pass-rush got home and Denver's linebackers were better in space. Perhaps the only area you could call a draw was the backend of the defense, where New York's defensive backs played pretty well. The Broncos looked like the better team from the start, they didn't panic when they fell behind in the second quarter and they just methodically put the game out of reach. This win was no fluke; the Broncos were clearly the better team. It impressed me greatly for the Broncos to have that kind of performance against a team that nearly won its division last year, albeit at 6-10. If Bridgewater can continue to play at that level — and I think somewhere in the neighborhood is reasonable, even if he doesn't have the daring escapes on third and fourth down — then the Broncos should win a lot of games.
The players and coaches have to stay focused on one game at a time, but if I'm allowed to look forward, it wouldn't surprise me if the Broncos surpass their win total from a season ago by the end of October. The Baltimore game in three weeks already looms as a major test; if the Broncos can earn wins the next two weeks, that could be an electric day in Denver.
I really enjoyed the aggressive approach on third- and fourth-down plays. Should we look forward to more of those based on how the offense is moving the ball? - Brandon W.
Brandon, as long as the Broncos continue to show they are capable of moving the ball, I think Fangio will continue to push the envelope. He did note that relying too much on fourth-down conversions can be a team's downfall — he pointed to the Ravens a couple of years ago — but as long as he has confidence in this offense, he should still pick his spots. I'm not sure if he'll go for it three times every week, but I could certainly see a fourth-down attempt every week or two. Especially when you're in a big game against the Chiefs, Browns, Cowboys or any other contender, it may be necessary to help flip the script in your direction. Let's be clear, though: Fangio's willingness to go for it on fourth down has not happened in a vacuum. The offense's performance and ability to move the ball on early downs has given him faith to take chances. If they were struggling to move the ball at all, I don't think you'd see the same sort of aggressiveness.
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September 15, 2021 at 05:59AM
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Ask Aric: How will Jerry Jeudy's injury impact the Broncos? - DenverBroncos.com
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