A Week 2 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers would be a less-than-ideal outcome for the Denver Broncos. Here’s what the Broncos can do to achieve victory and an outlook on the future if they don’t.
Palpable optimism existed across Broncos Country prior to the start of the season for what the team had accomplished this offseason and preseason. A revamped defense, a rookie quarterback and solid draft, and another year of continuity with Head Coach Sean Payton were all reasons to be excited about this year’s team.
The Broncos fought valiantly against the Seattle Seahawks, but defensive breakdowns and inconsistency on offense led to a 26-20 defeat on the road in their season opener. Today, the Denver Broncos host the Pittsburgh Steelers for their second game of the year. In my opinion, it’s truly a must-win game for the Broncos who can’t afford to start the season 0-2.
One of the major reasons is confidence. The Mile High City hasn’t fielded a winning football team in quite some time. Over the years, the losing culture has been a significant issue for the franchise. It’s a young team that lacks a lot of experience across the board, but youthfulness can be impressionable. Getting their first win of the season would be a great way to get some of their swagger back.
Time to bounce back in front of #BroncosCountry. #PITvsDEN game preview » https://t.co/WtGXLytOS3 pic.twitter.com/sFF1cAlrNQ
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) September 14, 2024
A win is a win—even if it’s ugly. Finding a way to defeat the Steelers is paramount if the Broncos’ want to gain steam as the season rolls on. If the offense can turn things around and be more efficient and limit the big chunk plays on defense, they should be able to hold their own against the Steelers.
So how can they win? The Broncos need to do much better in the trenches. The Steelers offensive line has several new players and potentially two new starters for today’s game. Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph needs to dial up some creative blitzes and pressure packages to catch them off guard and rattle Justin Fields.
Moreover, the Broncos’ offense line must do a better job protecting Bo Nix. They struggled against this mightily in Week 1 that led to a lot of play calls being D.O.A. On top of that, I’m hoping to see a much better effort from the skill position players. Especially at running back who missed a lot of open lanes and left yards on the field, but also with the receivers who need to do much better at gaining separation and giving Nix a better shot to hit them in stride to get yards after the catch.
Another reason why the Broncos can’t start the year with two losses? Postseason aspirations.
Research shows that teams who start 0-2 have less than a 11.5-percent chance of making the postseason. While it’s not impossible for Denver to embark on a postseason run even with a loss today, historical odds say it’s very improbable. The Broncos dropped their first three games and won seven of their next ten in 2023— but that still wasn’t good enough—and I’d say their schedule this year is much harder.
If Denver falls to the Steelers, the curtains will start to close on the hopes some across Broncos Country had in this regard. Here’s to hoping the team can defeat Pittsburgh and get back to being a .500 ball club. Go Broncos!