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[Denver Broncos]

Scouting the Enemy: Cincinnati Bengals

Week Four of the 2025 NFL season is upon us. The Denver Broncos host the Cincinnati Bengals for their first primetime game of the season on Monday Night Football. The Broncos are hoping to get back to being a .500 ball club, while the Bengals are hoping to stick atop of the AFC North even without Joe Burrow at quarterback. The stakes are high for both teams, but there is no denying it’s a must-win game for Denver. With that said, let’s take a deeper look at the Bengals, some key players, and what the Broncos have to accomplish to secure a primetime victory.

2024 Cincinnati Bengals Season Review

The Bengals finished their 2024 campaign falling just sort of the playoffs with a 9-8 record and a third-place finish in the AFC North. While their offense was efficient scoring the sixth most points and accumulating the ninth most yards in the NFL, their defense ranked 25th in points allowed and yards given up. In order for them to get back to being a playoff team, they are certainly going to have to do much better than they did defensively in ‘24.

2025 Cincinnati Bengals Offseason Additions

Falling just short of the playoffs, the Bengals didn’t make a whole lot of outside splashes in free agency this offseason. However, they did a good job of rewarding their top players who have helped them be successful in recent memory. They gave mega-deals to receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Most of their outside additions were on the defensive side of the ball.

The same goes for their endeavors in the 2025 NFL Draft, where they used multiple early selections to improve the defense. They are hopeful first-round pick Shemar Stewart can eventually give them a must needed boost to their pass rush, but rookie linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. has already hit the ground running. Through three games, he already has 21 tackles and is making a lot of plays on the ball just like he did in college.

Offensive X-Factor: Quarterback Jake Browning

Last season, I had wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase as the obvious choice here as their offensive X-Factor. He’s certainly their most dynamic playmaker. They are certainly going to need him to perform well in order to topple the Broncos on the road.

However, for this year’s game, I’m going to switch it up and focus on a player that certainly has a lot of work to do. I’m talking about quarterback Jake Browning since Joe Burrow is out due to a foot injury for quite some time Browning’s start on the road in Denver will be the fifteen game of his career and his ninth start. Playing in two games this season, he has completed 68-percent of his passes for 381 yards and three touchdowns. However, he has been prone to throwing interceptions (five) in those two appearances and has a quarterback rating of 67.1.

I don’t envision Browning being able to perform like Burrow did in last year’s matchup. In fact, I think this matchup is pretty favorable for Denver’s defense who has the most sacks in the NFL with 12. Keep in mind, the Bengals’ offense has also struggled to run the ball this year. Chase Brown has only 93 yards on 47 carries. That’s a pitiful 2.0 yards per carry and puts enormous pressure on Browning to have to try and put the game on his shoulders.

The Bengals have some good playmakers on offense. Even so, I’m just not convinced the former Washington product is going to be able to take command of the game in the Mile High City. It would be a huge surprise if that happened, but stranger things have happened.

"I don't think the season's over for the Bengals.. I think Jake Browning is better than maybe a third of the starting quarterbacks in the NFL." — Rich Eisen pic.twitter.com/PXvab4A4tk

— Cincinnati (@CincyProblems) September 15, 2025

Defensive X-Factor: Safety Jordan Battle

For their ’24 matchup I had defensive end Trey Hendrickson as the X-Factor for the Bengals defense. This season, I’ll switch gears here and focus on a member of their secondary who has impressed to start the year. That would be safety Jordan Battle.

The third-year pro finally has come into his own as a full-time starter for the team. So far in his ‘25 campaign, he already has 23 tackles, 2 interceptions, and 2 passes defended. If he keeps it up, Battle will certainly put together a career year at the age of 25-years-old and could cement himself as one of the best up-and-coming defensive backs in the NFL.

Overall, the Bengals pass defense has struggled a bit today, but they are tied for third league-wide with four interceptions. Battle has two of them, and the Broncos can’t afford to let his ball-hawking skills and playmaking range to stifle their passing offense. Bo Nix is going to have to be very cognizant of where he is at all times.

Jordan Battle travels a long way to make this stop pic.twitter.com/ghR2bEU3ey

— mike (@bengals_sans) September 8, 2025

How the Broncos can secure a victory over the Bengals

Over the course of the week, the Mile High Report staff and I have authored several pieces on how the Broncos can emerge victorious on Monday night. This is one of those games that could dictate the aura of the rest of the season. Sitting at 1-2, Denver can’t afford to crater into a 1-3 hole with the potential of the Los Angeles Chargers getting to 4-0. That would be a catastrophic scenario and put their divisional and playoff hopes in jeopardy. If the Broncos can be more efficient on offense and generate some turnovers on defense, I have a feeling they will be able to take care of business. All things considered, I expect the coaching staff to have their players poised to perform at a high level in primetime.

Hart’s Prediction: Broncos 34, Bengals 13.

Source: https://www.milehighreport.com/denv...ngals-scouting-report-game-preview-nfl-week-4

 

[Denver Broncos]

Thursday Night Football Week 4: Seahawks at Cardinals Open Thread

The Seattle Seahawks are coming off a big win last week. Everything seemed to be firing on all cylinders during their 44-13 blowout win over the New Orleans Saints. However, I think the Arizona Cardinals defense is a bit more impressive. Being at home, I think the Cardinals could give Seattle some problems.

Kickoff is set for Thursday, September 25, 2025 at 6:15 p.m. Mile High time at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona and will air on Prime Video.

My Prediction​

According to FanDuel, the Seahawks are slight road favorites here over Arizona at 1.5-points. I think the Cardinals win straight-up tonight as I am not a big believer in this Seahawks team right now. They’ve had a good start again some inferior opponents and while I’m not all that impressed with the Cardinals either, I’ll give them the nod being at home and under the prime time lights of Thursday Night Football.

Prediction: Cardinals 24, Seahawks 22

Open thread in the comments section below. Discuss the games action there!​

Source: https://www.milehighreport.com/game-day-threads/158698/week-4-seahawks-at-cardinals-tnf

 

[Denver Broncos]

Future Broncos: Finding a playmaker at tight end

In the early installments of Future Broncos, we’ve dove into a handful of prospects on the offensive line, defensive line, and at linebacker. Those were my three biggest preliminary draft needs for Denver leading up to the 2026 NFL Draft. Outside of those three, one could make a strong argument that finding a high-profile prospect at tight end would be in the franchise’s best interest moving forward.

To date, the early returns on free agent addition Evan Engram have been limited. While I’m still optimistic he can become a big part of the offense in 2025, he certainly isn’t a part of the team’s long-term vision at the age of 31—as he signed only a two-year deal. Denver is expected to get second-year tight end Nate Adkins back for their game against the Cincinatti Bengals. I thought the UDFA from last season performed admirable when called upon, but he doesn’t necessarily translate as a legitimate top target at the position.

Keep in mind, veteran Adam Trautman is an unrestricted free agent at year’s end. Additionally, Lucas Krull will be a restricted free agent. Last year’s seventh-round draft selection Caleb Lohner still has a lot of work to do, and his potential shouldn’t preclude Denver from being interested in finding a significant upgrade next April. So, who are some of the top options for the Broncos could consider early on? Let’s discuss a few.

Kenyon Sadiq — Tight End — Oregon

Four-star high school standout Kenyon Sadiq didn’t have to travel far to find his next home to continue his gridiron joruney. The Idaho native trekked Westward a few hundred miles and landed in Eugene, Oregon to become the next big playmaker for Dan Lanning and the Ducks.

As a freshman in 2023, Sadiq saw time in fourteen games serving primarily as a reserve and special teams’ player. He caught only five passes for 24 yards and 1 touchdown. In 2024, Sadiq made some strides in his sophomore year hauling in 24 receptions for 308 yards and 2 touchdowns. His two-touchdown performance against Penn State in the Big Ten Championship game elevated his status in the eyes of talent evaluators and have drawn him first-round grades entering his junior year at Oregon.

At 6’3 and 245 pounds, he possesses similar size to Engram and reminds me a bit of Isaiah Likely who was a standout pass catcher at Coastal Carolina several years ago. The one big difference between them is Sadiq’s tenacity as a run blocker. He’s very active in that regard and a hard-nosed player who has no problems giving it his all to help establish the Ducks’ formidable rushing attack.

Through four games this season, he has 9 catches for 155 yards and 3 touchdowns. That 17.2 yard-per-catch average is one of the best in all of college football. Sadiq plays with great athleticism (4.55 speed), poise, and is a gifted player. There aren’t many holes about his game, but crisping up his routes will bode well for him as he works toward taking his talents to the pros.

Overall, it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if he winds up being a Top 20 pick when Spring comes along. He is definitely someone I’d peg in as a potential first-round selection for the Broncos if they opt to go in that direction. You can see Sadiq in primetime this evening when the sixth-ranked Ducks take on the third-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions this evening.

Watch Kenyon Sadiq blocking. pic.twitter.com/Xsy1nVmy1k

— LegalizeQuack (@Legalize_Quack) September 7, 2025

Max Klare — Tight End — Ohio State (via Purdue)

Over the years, the Broncos have added a lot of prospects from Ohio State to their roster. With a long-term need at tight end, don’t be surprised if Denver’s scouting department is keeping close tabs on another draft eligible Buckeye this cycle. That would be senior tight end Max Klare, who is spending his first year in Columbus after three seasons at Purdue.

At 6’4” and 240 pounds, Klare boasts the physical profile you want for an NFL tight end. He isn’t going to burn you with deep speed (4.7 40-yard dash) but is a fluid mover on tape and is a sure-fire winner on seam routes and concepts targeting the middle of the field. I like his toughness and tenacity. He’s extremely hard to bring down after initial contact and generates quality yardage over the catch. He’s a tried-and-true playmaker that can attack all three levels of the defense.

Last year with the Boilmakers, he embarked upon a special junior season notching 51 catches for 685 yards and four touchdowns. He was a big-time threat for them in the redzone during his time there. In three games with the Buckeyes, Klare hasn’t enjoyed the same success adjusting to a new team. He has just 4 catches for 48 yards and 1 touchdown on the year. Nevertheless, I’m definitely not down on him because of that. I’m confident he will be able to turn things around and notch a productive final season in the collegiate ranks.

How he performs the rest of the way out and his medical checkup at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis will play a big role in his draft stock. On top of that, I’d like to see some of that grit he shows after the catch show up in his run blocking, but as usual, most tight ends in college are a work in progress in that department. All things considered, there is no doubt he is an extremely talented player. You can catch him in action this afternoon when the top-ranked Buckeyes take on the Washington Huskies.

Max Klare on scoring his first touchdown as an Ohio State Buckeye:

“It felt great. I mean, I kind of blacked out,” he told @Dan_Hope. “That's probably one of the coolest touchdowns I've ever scored. Just looking up into the helmet stripe, too, it was pretty sweet.” pic.twitter.com/2oltAvw1Td

— Josh Poloha (@JorshP) September 14, 2025

Other Top Prospects to Watch:

The two aforementioned will likely be the first two tight ends off the board next April, but here are several other prospects to keep in mind as the ‘25 college season progresses. All five of these players could find their way into Top 100 consideration if they perform well over the next few months.

• Eli Stowers — Vanderbilt
• Oscar Delp — Georgia
• Jack Velling — Michigan State
• Joe Royer — Cincinnati
• Marlin Klein – Michigan

Source: https://www.milehighreport.com/denver-broncos-draft/158749/future-broncos-9-27-2025

 

[Denver Broncos]

Broncos vs. Bengals: Saturday practice participation report

The Denver Broncos and the Cincinnati Bengals released their final injury reports ahead of their Monday Night Football matchup. For the Broncos, they are entering the game fairly healthy, but had one of their explosive playmakers pop up on the injury report. As for the Bengals, they will be their first-round pick pass rusher, and a former Denver Broncos first-round pick for this game.

Good news, veteran tight end Evan Engram practiced fully all week and is good to go for Monday Night’s game vs. the Bengals. The bad news is that explosive wide receiver/returner Marvin Mims Jr. was a late add to the injury report with a hip injury and is questionable for the game. If Mims were to miss this game, look for Troy Franklin to see more reps along with rookie wide receiver Pat Bryant.

As for the Bengals, they will be down explosive rookie pass rusher Shemar Stewart due to an ankle injury, as well as former Denver Broncos tight end Noah Fant, who is dealing with a concussion. Stewart’s absence is a blow to the Bengals’ defense that has had its struggles this season, while Fant being out gives backup quarterback Jake Browning one less weapon to rely on during this game.

With all that said, here is your entire Saturday injury report for the Broncos and Bengals ahead of their week 4 matchup on Monday Night Football.

Denver Broncos Injury Report​

Player	Pos.	Injury	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Game Status
Nate Adkins	TE	Foot	FULL	FULL	FULL
Nik Bonitto	OLB	Wrist	FULL	FULL	FULL
Evan Engram	TE	Back	FULL	FULL	FULL
Alex Singleton	ILB	Thumb	FULL	FULL	FULL
John Franklin-Myers	DE	Hip	LIMITED	FULL	FULL
Marvin Mims Jr.	WR	Hip	– –	– –	LIMITED	QUESTIONABLE

Cincinnati Bengals Injury Report​

Player	Pos.	Injury	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Game Status
Samaje Perine	HB	Finger	FULL	FULL	FULL
Dalton Risner	G	Calf	FULL	FULL	FULL
Cam Taylor-Britt	CB	Hamstring	LIMITED	LIMITED	FULL
Noah Fant	TE	Concussion	DNP	DNP	DNP	OUT
Shemar Stewart	DE	Ankle	DNP	DNP	DNP	OUT

BOLD – Indicates change in status; NIR- Indicates not injury related; *- Team conducted a walk-through / report is an estimation; UNDERLINE– Player is on Reserve or Exempt List and has returned to practice
STATUS DEFINITIONS: Did not participate (DNP); Limited: means less than 100 percent of a player’s normal repetitions; Full—100 percent of player’s normal repetitions; Out: will not play; Doubtful: Unlikely to play; Questionable: Uncertain to play

Source: https://www.milehighreport.com/denv...engals-saturday-practice-participation-report

 

[Denver Broncos]

Broncos vs. Bengals: 3 players to watch in Week 4 matchup

The Denver Broncos have their backs against the wall after dropping two straight games to the Indianapolis Colts and Los Angeles Chargers. Monday Night Football’s matchup against the Cincinatti Bengals is a must-win game for them in order to salvage their season and get back on the right track. Here are three players I’m looking for to have better games this week to help Denver get back to being a .500 ball cub.

Luke Wattenberg — Center​

When you take a look around to glance at advanced metrics and analytics, outlets like Pro Football Focus, ESPN, and several others speak highly of the Broncos’ offensive line. That’s especially true with respect to pass blocking ability. However, there is one player who has regressed in that regard to start the season and that’s fourth-year center Luke Wattenberg.

Earlier in the week, our in-house offensive line guru Ross Allen broke down the tape from Wattenberg’s performance against the Chargers. It wasn’t a terrible performance, but his inability to diagnose stunts and deal with unique pressures Jesse Minter was dialing up certainly caused a lot of chaos on the interior protecting Bo Nix. That has also been a common theme in other games this season.

The Bengals’ interior defensive line doesn’t feature the premier players some of Denver’s other opponents had. Given such, that gives me some optimism Wattenberg can have a rebound game and be more consistent in the trenches. They will need him to protect Nix and help jumpstart their heavy zone rushing attack to secure a victory on Monday night.

RJ Harvey — Running Back​

The Broncos have had a lot of success running the ball with J.K. Dobbins on first down when they choose to do so. Overall, on 41 rushing attempts, Dobbins has gained 222 yards (5.4 yards per attempt) and 3 touchdowns. That’s quality production from the veteran who has proved to be a solid addition to their backfield to start the season.

Unfortunately, rookie second-round pick RJ Harvey has had a slow start to his season. Harvey had one explosive run for 50 yards against the Tennessee Titans in Week 1. Unfortunately, on 12 other carries to date, he has only amassed 30 yards. That’s certainly not going to cut it if he wants to play even a complimentary role in the offense. Earlier this week, Head Coach Sean Payton fielded questions on Harvey’s share and role in the offense and what to expect moving forward.

One area Payton mentioned that he hopes Harvey can be featured more is as a receiving option for Nix. On six receiving targets, the former UCF standout has just five catches for 30 yards. During his time with the Golden Knights, Harvey demonstrated he was a terrific outside zone runner and a quality pass catcher out the backfield. With Nix’s penchant for short passes and the screen game, perhaps Harvey’s confidence and production could get a much-needed boost featuring him as a primary outlet option out of the backfield against the Bengals.

Jonathon Cooper — Edge Rusher​

Fourth-year edge rusher Nik Bonitto has had a hot start to his ’25 campaign. Though Broncos Country shouldn’t sleep on how well veteran Jonathon Cooper is playing opposite of him. In fact, after last week’s performance, Cooper now boasts a higher pass rush win-rate than Bonitto. With 10 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks through three games, the former Ohio State standout has continued to build upon his breakout season in ‘24 where he had a career best 10.5 sacks.

In order to help achieve a victory, the Broncos will need Cooper to play at a high level and get after quarterback Jake Browning. Cincinnati’s offensive tackles Orlando Brown Jr. and Amarius Mims have struggled a bit this season in pass protection and have given up multiple sacks. I think watching Cooper go up against both of them is a matchup for fans to keep their eye on.

I’d specifically like to see him be aggressive against Mims. His on the field performance to date simply hasn’t matched up with his athleticism or draft profile. It wouldn’t surprise me to see Cooper notch a few sacks under the bright lights on Monday night to keep Denver’s pass rushing attack atop the NFL in sacks.

Source: https://www.milehighreport.com/denv...als-key-players-matchups-predictions-analysis

 

[Denver Broncos]

Ultimate Fan: No need to overcomplicate this — Broncos just need to play better

The season has not gone as expected but that rarely happens in the NFL, especially for the Broncos. But we do have a home game on prime time Monday Night Football, and that’s usually a recipe for a great game at Mile High.

And OrangeAndBlueFan has given us a fantastic UFG to preview what better be a fantastic outcome.It’s time for Bo Nix and the offense to show they can get in sync while the defense plays lights out for four full quarters.

"It's just electric, the energy that the fans bring."

Broncos look to capitalize on prime-time opportunity in 'Monday Night Football' matchup with Bengals » https://t.co/NsdWMCjiYp pic.twitter.com/B5ZFITRV8p

— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) September 26, 2025

Week 4: Bengals at Broncos on MNF​

MHR – For the second week in a row, the Broncos lost the game more than their opponent won it. Should Broncos Country be worried this is a trend or encouraged that it’s fixable?OrangeAndBlueFan: I’m not worried. I view this as progress. The Broncos carried leads late into the fourth quarter against what appear, so far, to be two of the better teams in the AFC. It didn’t work out in the end, both the Colts and Bolts were able to get timely stops on defense, and then get in range to kick the walk-off field goals, and that is definitely disappointing. But last year this team wasn’t even competitive with playoff-caliber teams. The fact that the Broncos are hanging with them this year, and able to put themselves in position to win the game late, is progress. Obviously, now they need to learn how to finish the job.

MHR – Is a prime-time game at home against a team without its elite QB a “get-right” game for Denver? Any chance they look past Browning and don’t take the Bengals serious enough?
OrangeAndBlueFan: I suppose it’s always a possibility the Broncos could look past the Bengals, especially with the defending champs next up on the schedule, but knowing it’s a Monday Night game with a national audience will likely prevent any “looking past” the opponent at hand. Also, we saw evidence last year that this team really does take it one game at a time and respects all of their opponents. The consistent blow outs of the “lesser” opponents last year tells me they have good leadership in the locker room and they take every opponent seriously. I think the only concern could be underestimating Browning’s ability because of how much he struggled last week. Burrow has been injured a lot, and Browning has typically filled in for him quite respectably. As long as the Broncos give Browning and the Bengals proper respect, I do believe this is a “get right” game.

MHR – The Bengals secondary has been decent so far this season with four interceptions, two by safety Jordan Battle. Bo Nix and his receivers haven’t been enough in sync to be a consistent threat. Will that change on Monday night for the Broncos’ offense?
OrangeAndBlueFan: What gives me optimism is that Payton’s plays have been scheming receivers wide open quite frequently. For reasons I can’t explain, Bo has been missing them way too much. I know there will be guys open down field on Monday night. The question then becomes if Bo can deliver them the ball. Where I feel good about our chances of seeing improvement here is the fact that his misses haven’t been by a lot. If you recall last year, early in the season some of Bo’s misses were pretty wild, and he was still able to get that corrected over the course of the season. His misses have been by inches this year, so I like the chances of him getting on the same page with the receivers.

MHR – JK Dobbins has ended games with pretty good stats, but it never feels like the run game is causing defenses much stress. Is this on Sean Payton for the runs that are drawn up or do the running backs just need to do better? How much of a factor does the run game need to be on Monday night?
OrangeAndBlueFan: I think it’s a bit of a misnomer to say that Payton doesn’t run the ball enough. He calls a lot of screen plays, which is really just an extension of the run game in his offense. If we counted screens as run plays, the run/pass splits would be a lot more in line with what people probably want to see. The problem is, the screen game just isn’t working. And because of that, yes, I would like to see less screens and more Dobbins (and Harvey). And especially in the second half. I don’t have stats off hand to back this up, but it seems to me Payton commits to the run game the first couple drives, and then completely abandons it in the second half. I wouldn’t mind seeing Dobbins get around 10 touches, and Harvey around 5 or so, in the second half alone Monday night, especially if the Broncos are winning like they should be.

MHR – The offensive line has protected Nix quite well, but Dax Hill has been an effective defender in a lot of areas for the Bengals – run stopping, blitzing off the edge and in coverage. Will we be talking about the O-line in a good way after the game on Monday?
OrangeAndBlueFan: I think the offensive line has been excellent as a whole so far this year. The problem has been Bo. He’s holding the ball a fraction too long, waiting to take off and run a fraction too long when things do break down, and even in clean pockets he’s moving himself into pressure (ie, taking three steps up into the pocket instead of one, like on the missed flea flicker to Mims in L.A.).

I have to imagine Davis Webb has had Bo working on this pretty hard this week, and if he can clean this up it will have a cascading affect on the entire offense, including making the line look really good! The Broncos have an elite unit. I hate to say it, but the problems that exist with the offense early in the season stem from Bo just seeming to be slightly off. Like he’s nervous or he’s pressing too much. They’re not massive problems and I have full confidence he’ll get it cleaned up sooner than later, but I think the o line is solid and doing their job.

One of the most important factors in success is decisiveness. Not just in football, but in business, and in relationships. Decisiveness means you’re prepared, you know what to do, and you do it full speed. The Broncos know they need to run the ball more, but instead of calling… pic.twitter.com/qPREtkGDF1

— Karl Mecklenburg CSP, NFL (@KarlMecklenburg) September 26, 2025

MHR – Evan Engram is back at practice. Do you think we might finally see our much hyped “joker” play soon? Can he be a big difference-maker for this offense?
OrangeAndBlueFan: First of all, I’ve never bought into this idea that Evan Engram is a “Joker.” When I think of a Joker, I think of Jimmy Graham in Sean Payton’s offense, or what someone like Tyler Warren could become. Evan Engram is not the caliber of either of those guys. That said, he is a very talented Tight End. Better than any we have had around Broncos Country in quite some time, and his presence on the field will absolutely make a difference. One of Bo’s strengths at Oregon was getting the ball out quickly on short routes in the middle of the field. We haven’t really seen a lot of that in his 21 games in Denver, and I think Engram would really help add that element to the playbook and make this offense much more dynamic.

MHR – The Broncos’ defense started strong against a bad team, then faltered against what has turned out to be an undefeated team and then last week looked strong again until the final two drives. What gives with this?
OrangeAndBlueFan: The other team gets paid, too. Even the ’85 Bears didn’t go undefeated. The Colts have an actual “Joker” in Tyler Warren, and a player like that in the middle of the field has given the Broncos fits seemingly for millennia. And it will continue to give the Broncos fits as long as Greenlaw is unable to get on the field. Last week, the Chargers made plays with their heart when they needed it the most. That touchdown completion to tie the game was insane. There’s absolutely no logical way that should have been a completed pass – the defense was excellent. And yet it was completed and they did tie the game. If we’re going to see some untimely breakdown on defense on Monday, my bet is it will be Moss getting torched by Higgins for a deep touchdown. I think the defense has been really solid, though, outside of the first half in Indy, and I don’t have any reason to think that will change Monday. At the end of the day, we’ve lost two games to two very good teams on walk-off field goals. There are good 1-2 teams and bad 1-2 teams, and I firmly believe the Broncos are one of the good 1-2 teams.

MHR – Jake Browning as the starting QB should be a gold mine for Nik Bonitto and Jonathan Cooper, not to mention Zach Allen and John Franklin Meyers. This defense has 12 sacks, the most in the NFL through three games. How many do they get on Monday?
OrangeAndBlueFan: I do think the pass rush will feast on Monday, but I don’t want to assume anything crazy just because of a backup QB. Because he has been with Cincy for a while now, and Burrow has been injured a lot, we have seen a lot of Jake Browning, and he’s been a really good backup. He did struggle last week quite a bit, but I think it would be a mistake to underestimate him. It’s entirely possible last week totally ruined his confidence and we get a repeat of it. It’s also possible he uses last week as fuel to rise to the occasion and have the best game of his career. More likely, it will be somewhere in the middle – he’s probably not going to serve up three picks, but he might hang onto the ball a tick longer to ensure that, which would be welcome news to Nik Bonitto. So while it’s tempting to go crazy and predict 8 or 9 sacks, I think reality will be we get a lot pressure, but I’ll temper expectations to 5 sacks.

MHR – Ja’Marr Chase is likely to draw Patrick Surtain for the majority of the game, which will leave Tee Higgins against either rookie Jahdae Barron and/or Riley Moss. How much of a problem could Higgins be for his defenders if the edge rushers aren’t causing trouble beforehand?
OrangeAndBlueFan: Ah yes, the Bengals receivers! This is what makes them such a fun team to watch. Ja’Marr Chase vs. PS2 is best in the league vs. best in the league and is must-see-TV. Chase isn’t going to be totally shut down, but I do trust PS2 to do his thing and limit Chase to more pedestrian numbers. Moss on Higgins is my biggest fear because of last year, and the fact that Moss has looked a step behind in coverage numerous times against lesser receivers than Higgins. I believe this is the key matchup of the game. I don’t think Cincy has a realistic shot at winning this game without Higgins putting up massive stats. To your point, the pass rush wrecking the game would go a long way to helping out in that regard.

MHR – The Bengals’ run game hasn’t been great, and the Broncos’ run defense hasn’t been great enough (in my opinion). Who wins that matchup this week?
OrangeAndBlueFan: I have Chase Brown on my primary fantasy team, so I am very aware of how dismal their run game has been to start the year! And I don’t think it gets much better this week. I really do believe this is a “get right” game for the Broncos and Cincy is going to be trailing too much in the game to even consider running the ball much at all. I would say the Broncos front wins this battle by default due to lack of volume. But the Broncos do have a habit of giving up a big run per game, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they do it again Monday. I just don’t think it’s going to have a huge impact on the outcome. My fantasy team certainly wouldn’t mind a 60 yard house call by Brown, as long as it’s in garbage time and Stidham is coming out onto the field afterward.

MHR – Which ONE player on offense and defense has to be an MVP on Sunday for this game to end with a check in the W column?
OrangeAndBlueFan: Let’s not overcomplicate this. Bo needs to be better, and Bonitto needs to get to the QB. If they are our MVP’s, I think this is an easy win.

MHR – What is one word to describe the season so far? For the for this team for the rest of the season?
OrangeAndBlueFan: The season so far: Underwhelming. The rest of the year: Still-hopeful (yes, I’m cheating with the hyphen! Lol)

The Broncos won't see Joe Burrow on Monday night, but the NFL Research team has quite the note on how Bo Nix's and Joe Burrow's stats compare through their first 20 games.

Nix and Burrow are tied for the 10th-most TD passes through a player's first 20 games since 1970. pic.twitter.com/QICVR09btX

— Aric DiLalla (@AricDiLalla) September 27, 2025

Predictions​

Stats for BO NIX? 21 of 31 for 255 yards, 3 TDs, 4 rushes for 36 yards. 2 sacks. 0 turnovers.

Stats for each Broncos RB? Dobbins: 18 carries for 93 yards, 1 TD, 1 reception for 8 yards. Harvey: 11 carries for 42 yards, 2 receptions for 22 yards, 1 receiving TD

Number of yards receiving/TDs for the receivers? Sutton: 8 receptions for 103 yards, 1 TD; Engram: 4 receptions for 48 yards, 1 TD; Franklin: 2 receptions for 17 yards; Mims: 2 receptions for 38 yards; 2 other miscellaneous receptions for 19 yards by some combo of Trautman, Adkins, Bryant or Sherfield (a friend and I have made a drinking game out of “# 63 has reported as eligible,” so I would love to see them actually get Palcho the ball one of these times!)

Longest FG from Lutz this week? 1 for 1, from 46 yards

Number of sacks to Jake Browning? 5

Broncos player with the most tackles? Flip a coin between Hufanga and Singleton. I’ll go Singleton this week.

Who gets the first sack of the game for the Broncos? Let’s go outside the box. Jahdae Barron

Who gets the most sacks? Bonitto 2, and Cooper, Allen and Barron each with 1

How many INTs/FF/FR for the Bengals D? 0/0/0

How many INTs/FF/FR for the Broncos D? Moss gets some revenge with a pick. One of the sacks results in a fumble recovered by the Broncos

How many penalties for the Broncos? It’s a get right game. They clean things up and only commit 5 penalties

How many stupid penalties for the Broncos? Even in a clean game, they still gotta have one boneheaded penalty, right? This is the Broncos we’re talking about.

Final Score? 31 – 10 good guys

Night mode activated pic.twitter.com/qvTD36si0V

— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) September 24, 2025

The Favorites ​

Favorite Broncos win ever? Obviously pick a Super Bowl….but outside of that, it’s a toss up between the Tebow to DT OT win over Pittsburgh in the 2011 playoffs (January 2012), or the 2005 playoffs (January 2006) win over Brady and the Pats to knock off the dynasty (that was the first NFL game I ever went to in person, so I’d probably pick that one).

Favorite Peyton Manning win? I know he was physically done by this point and we won because of THAT D!, but it doesn’t get better than an all-time great riding into the sunset with a ring. SB50, all the way. Second place is probably the 2012 MNF comeback against the Chargers to start the winning streak. 3rd place: The Colts 2006 AFCCG win over the Pats (what can I say, first and foremost I’m a Broncos fan, but I’m also just a football fan in general, and that was a great game and I was rooting for Manning and Indy).

Favorite John Elway win? I’ll go with the 98 Super Bowl for the same “riding off into the sunset” reason. But despite my “middle age” status, I wasn’t around as a Broncos fan for the Elway years (see “How You Became A Broncos Fan” section for more info)

Favorite win by any other Broncos QB? Plummer and Tebow were the QBs for my two favorite Broncos wins outside of their Super Bowls.

Team you love to beat the most in the AFC West? In this moment in time, KC. Not taking era into account, Raiders.

Coach you despise most in the NFL? Pete Carroll has always annoyed me. Now that he’s with the Raiders, need I say more?

Team you hate to lose to the most in the rest of the AFC (outside AFC West)? Steelers. Earlier I referenced the 2005 season win in the playoffs over the Pats being the first NFL game I ever attended in person. I also went to the AFCCG the next week against Pittsburgh. I’ve never left a sporting event early in my entire life just because my team was getting blown out, and I wasn’t about to start that night. But by the end of the game it was just me, my friend who I forced to stay because we drove there together, and the 40,000 Steelers fans who took over Mile High. That was brutal and I’ve despised the Steelers ever since.

NFC team you could cheer for in the Super Bowl? Like everyone else has said in these articles, Detroit winning a Super Bowl would be a great story. Beyond the Lions, I’ll catch heat for this in the comments, I’m sure, but I grew up a Cowboys fan, sooooo…… there’s also that.

NFC team you’d want to face more than any other in the Super Bowl? None of the same players and coaches are there obviously, but who wouldn’t like a little revenge against Seattle?

Toughest game remaining on the schedule? Easy this year. Week 5. Philly. The tush push is impossible enough to stop as it is, hopefully the refs can at least figure out how to officiate it correctly by then.

Broncos player on the current roster? He’s the best player in the league on an entire side of the ball, and I wear #2 to every home game, so I gotta go PS2.

Favorite Broncos player of all time not named John Elway? PFM. My son, Peyton, may or may not be named after him.

Favorite new guy/rookie on the team? I play in an IDP fantasy league and have been a big fan of Dre Greenlaw for years. If he had been able to be on the field yet for all of Broncos Country to see what a difference-maker he is, he’d be my easy answer. But since he hasn’t actually suited up as a Bronco yet, I’ll go with Hufanga. Yeah, he contributed to the parade of penalties last week, but he hits hard and clean and is always around the ball. He’s one of those 100% on every play guys who you can’t help but love.

Food/Snack you have to eat on game day? I have season tickets with a friend and we tailgate for a few hours before every home game. We alternate weeks cooking, and do it up right! So it isn’t the same every week, but it’s ALWAYS good eats! He made muffaletta sandwiches for the opener (I was born in New Orleans, where the muffaletta was invented. It’s one of my favorite foods on earth). I’m making a CO classic, pork green chili, for Monday night. This is only our fourth year with tickets, but trying to one-up the previous week with our tailgate food has quickly become a tradition!

Favorite game analyst/commentator? I think Greg Olsen should announce every NFL game. Dude is on point.

Who is on your Broncos Mt. Rushmore? All-time: Elway, Gradishar, TD, Manning. In my era as a Broncos fan (since 2004): Manning, Von, DT, and I’ll go with Champ just barely over PS2 only because PS2 is still fairly early in his career

Give me one word/phrase/cliche to describe your hope for this season.
To be the best you gotta beat the best. It’s no secret we completely dominated the bad teams we played last year, but struggled a bit against the playoff-caliber teams. So far it’s been much the same this year (although we have had excellent opportunity to beat the playoff teams). With the loss of Burrow, Cincy is now one of those bad teams we should easily beat. Assuming we do, can we clean up the discipline on the penalties and can Bo re-find his accuracy and stop missing wide open receivers, and then use this week as a jumping off point for the rest of the season. Because if this team can do those two things, they are absolutely capable of beating anyone. If they can’t do those two things, they are absolutely capable of losing to anyone.

How did you become a Broncos fan? ​

I was an adult before I became a Broncos fan addict. I was born in New Orleans and grew up in Dallas during the Cowboys 90’s dynasty. So I was a Cowboys fan as a kid, and the Saints were my #2. I ended up in Denver for college in 1999, but I was playing on a golf scholarship so my Sundays were always spent either practicing or traveling to tournaments, so I didn’t really follow football for those 4 years.

After college, I stayed in CO and started following football again, but had lost any feeling of loyalty to the teams I grew up rooting for. Colorado was the first place I lived that really felt like home to me, so it felt really natural to start rooting for the Broncos. By the time I attended my first ever NFL game in person – the 2005 playoffs (January 2006) win over the Patriots – I was already a Broncos fan, but that game was basically a life changing experience, and I’ve never looked back since. Getting to be live in that environment for Champ’s 100 yard pick 6 on Brady was the most electric, jaw on the ground, hair standing up on the back of my neck moment I’ve ever experienced.

Source: https://www.milehighreport.com/denv...plicate-this-broncos-just-need-to-play-better

 

[Denver Broncos]

Good or Bad: Broncos on national display Monday night

For football fans, the offseason was full of delicious preseason Broncos hype. Expecations were that Bo Nix and the offense would take that next explosive step. Surely the dominant defense from last year would only get more ferocious under Vance Joseph’s steady hand, right? The losing ways of the last decade were going to be a thing of the past.

So far, the Broncos everyone expected have yet to show up to the 2025 season have been MIA. At 1-2, the Broncos have been disappointing. From an offense desperate to find any sort of consistency to a defense what has seemingly forgotten how to stop the run, the Broncos are doing a damn good job dispelling all that offseason optimism.

On Monday, the Broncos are hosting the banged-up Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football. What version of the Broncos are they going to show the world? Is it going to be the penalty-heavy, sluggish, soft, Broncos that allows running backs to carve them up, or have the Broncos found that sense of Mile High pride to change the early narrative?

In the end, optimistic prognostication doesn’t count for diddly squat once the season starts. The games will be played and the Broncos are going to show the world exactly who they are. Are they a team that can take care of business versus a team missing their starting quarterback or are they a team that will play down to the opposition, doing just enough to lose the game in heart-breaking fashion. Last-second field goal, anyone?

Monday Night Football is mere hours away and we are fixin’ to find out.

Source: https://www.milehighreport.com/denv...-bad-broncos-on-national-display-monday-night

 

[Denver Broncos]

Winners and losers from the Broncos 28-3 victory over the Bengals

It feels good to open this up and start writing after a victory, rather than after a heartbreaking last-second loss in a game they should have won.

The Broncos dominated this game from start to finish on both sides of the ball and came away with a convincing 28-3 victory over the Bengals. Now, it wasn’t error-free, and we’ll touch on some of those in this, but there is plenty of positive to write about, thankfully. So, with all that said, here are your winners and losers from the Broncos’ victory over the Bengals.

WINNER – Bo Nix​

Bo Nix bounced back in a big way tonight and had 326 yards passing and 3 total touchdowns. However, his night could have been even better if he had not thrown an end zone interception, and Troy Franklin could have hauled in two passes from the second-year quarterback.

Bo Nix runs it in for a TOUCHDOWN!!pic.twitter.com/Y1EFPsUGTW

— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) September 30, 2025

After receiving some criticism for his performance last week vs. the Chargers, Nix looked poised, was accurate, and led the Broncos’ offense up and down the field vs. this Bengals defense. This isn’t the best defense in the league, but he took care of business against a team they should have beaten and silenced some critics for at least this week.

WINNER – RJ Harvey and JK Dobbins​

This was a great night for the Broncos’ backfield. Veteran J.K. Dobbins topped 100 yards on the ground, while rookie R.J. Harvey had 98 total yards from scrimmage, along with getting his first career NFL touchdown. This is exactly what Sean Payton envisioned from these two, and they put it all together tonight vs. the Bengals.

RJ Harvey's first career TD! pic.twitter.com/xVmzuIWgdW

— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) September 30, 2025

Dobbins looked patient, explosive, and averaged 6.3 yards per carry on the ground tonight. The Bengals couldn’t stop him, and it was a performance we haven’t seen in quite a while from a Broncos running back. This 100-yard performance was the first from a Broncos running back during the Sean Payton era. Meanwhile, Harvey had a strong showing as well. He had 58 yards rushing while adding 40 yards receiving and catching his first career touchdown pass.

Hopefully, we see more performances like this from these Broncos backs moving forward. The offense is at its best when it can run the ball.

WINNER – Courtland Sutton​

Courtland Sutton is as reliable as they come. You need a first down? He’ll get you that. You need a big play? He can do that. You need a touchdown? He can do that too.

Nix targeted Sutton early and often in this game, and he delivered on multiple third downs, including an impressive touchdown catch before halftime. He finished the game with 5 receptions for 81 yards and 1 touchdown reception.

Bo Nix Courtland Sutton pic.twitter.com/3N0wS3pcn9

— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) September 30, 2025

Since Sean Payton has taken over this team, Sutton has totaled 21 touchdown receptions and has 3 of them through the Broncos’ first 4 games this season. Could he be on the verge of a career year for the Broncos?

WINNER – Pat Surtain II and Riley Moss​

The Bengals have Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, and we saw both of these wide receivers abuse the Broncos during their matchup against them last season. However, that was not the case tonight as the Broncos’ star cornerbacks shut down the Bengals’ explosive pass catchers.

Things started rough for Riley Moss, and he had Broncos Country nervous after Tee Higgins beat him down the field for a big gain on the Bengals’ first drive. However, after that play, Higgins was non-existent throughout the rest of the game and finished the night with 3 receptions for 32 yards. Meanwhile, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year held Ja’Marr Chase to 5 receptions for 23 yards.

Absolutely dominated. (Jake Browning is also REALLY bad).

WINNER – Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper​

The Broncos’ pass rush was all over Bengals quarterback Jake Browning tonight, and both Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper dominated. Both had multiple pressures and QB hits throughout the game, while Bonitto had 1.5 sacks and Cooper had 0.5 sacks.

Jonathan Cooper and Nik Bonitto blow by the Bengals tackles to get the SACKpic.twitter.com/aVbtYGPjfD

— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) September 30, 2025

I thought Cooper had more than that, but both dominated, and on one play, they both blew by the Bengals’ offensive tackles and met at the quarterback for the sack.

LOSER – Luke Wattenberg​

When you get called for 5 penalties in one game, you’re making the loser list no matter the outcome. Unfortunately, Broncos center Luke Wattenberg did just that tonight.

Luke Wattenberg has been called for five penalties tonight, three of which were accepted.

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) September 30, 2025

Only three of the penalties were accepted, but it is still a rough showing from the Broncos center. Head Coach Sean Payton has said he wants to cut down on costly penalties, so performances like this will quickly put you in the coach’s dog house. On top of that, he is viewed as the weak link on the offensive line and had a few missed blocks tonight.

LOSER – Troy Franklin​

Franklin had 4 receptions for 55 yards tonight and made some nice plays. However, his night could have been MUCH better. Early in the game, he dropped a beautiful pass from quarterback Bo Nix. Nix was on the move and avoiding the rush, and threw a dime to Franklin, who couldn’t bring it in.

Later in the game, Franklin got open deep, and Nix threw a very catchable ball to him for it to fall right between his hands. This would have been a 40+ yard reception and one that would have greatly changed the stat line for both players, but he couldn’t bring it in.

This was an issue for him last year, but he seemed to put it behind him. Unfortunately, we saw it pop up again tonight, so hopefully, this doesn’t become a trend for the Broncos’ explosive receiver.

Other notable Winners and Losers

WINNER – Broncos defense: The Broncos defense, as a whole, limited the Bengals to just 159 total yards and just 9 first downs in this game. Jake Browning and the Bengals are bad, but the Broncos’ defense took care of business tonight

WINNER – WR/KR Marvin Mims Jr.: Mims had 69 yards receiving while also adding 16 yards and 1 touchdown on the ground for the Broncos. He was a weapon as a receiver, ball carrier, and return man during this game.

WINNER – Broncos pass blocking: 0 sacks allowed

WINNER – IDL John Franklin-Myers: Multiple QB pressures and 1 sack

WINNER – WR Pat Bryant: Had a nice block on the Marvin Mims touchdown run

LOSER – Penalties: Had 7 penalties for 72 yards in this one. The Bengals had more, which took the spotlight off the Broncos, but miscues continue to be an issue for them.

Source: https://www.milehighreport.com/denv...rom-the-broncos-28-3-victory-over-the-bengals

 

[Denver Broncos]

Broncos have a running game!

Good morning, Broncos Country!​

No one is going to claim the Joe Burrow-less Bengals are a good team, but the Broncos dominated the matchup the way they should have and got themselves back to .500 after a 28-3 smackdown in Mile High.

The defense gave Jake Browning fits all night as he desperately — and unsuccessfully — tried to find an open receiver. After scoring a field goal on their opening drive, the Bengals never made it to the Broncos’ side of the field the rest of the game.

And Denver’s offense exploded behind Bo Nix’s 326 yards passing, two passing touchdowns and one QB run into the endzone.

But it was the coming-out party for the Broncos’ running attack that was the story of the night.

“Running the ball efficiently really helped,” Nix said, noting they stayed out of third-and-long most of the game. “Running the ball is always great for the offense.”

JK Dobbins gained 101 yards on the ground and rookie RJ Harvey added another 58, giving the Broncos nearly 200 rushing yards on the day. But it was the first time in 38 games that a Broncos’ running back went over 100 yards in a game.

J.K. Dobbins is on pace for 1,373 rushing yards.

RJ Harvey is on pace for 587 rushing yards.

You’d take 1,900 rushing yards from them for the season.

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) September 30, 2025

For three weeks, Sean Payton has been talking about getting the run game going, and a primetime game against a struggling team under the lights was the perfect backdrop to jumpstart the rushing attack.

“We’re getting there for sure, but we can get better. I can be better,” Dobbins said after the game, noting that he had some runs he wished he had broken a few more tackles. “Nobody can stop us if we keep doing what we did tonight.”

Payton decided to give Dobbins and Harvey each a full series to be the featured back rather than rotating in and out based on certain kinds of plays. Dobbins believes that approach allowed them both to get into a rhythm on the field.

J.K. Dobbins is the first 100-yard rusher for the @Broncos in the last 38 games

CINvsDEN on ABC
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/ObRtdMIIf2

— NFL (@NFL) September 30, 2025

“Coach Payton is the best. I love him. And he’s always going to figure out ways to put us in the right position to win,” Dobbins said. “Not just the running backs but everybody on the team. We’re just going to get even better.”

Last week Dobbins noted that the offense (and team) was still trying to figure out its identity. Tonight he believes they came close to figuring it out.

“We showed that we’re a tough team and we can be even tougher. Mentally tough,” Dobbins said. “In this league more games are lost than won. If you’re not mentally strong enough to have the right technique on a block, you’ll get a holding call, or you’re if not focused before the snap, false start. It’s not only being physically tough but you have to be mentally sharp as well. We have it and we’re going to keep putting it together and it’s going to get better and better each week.“

In fact, Dobbins is already making plans for getting better next week.

“It’s a great feeling,” he said of getting to 100 yards, “and maybe I can go back-to-back now.”

J.K. Dobbins ended his press conference with a big smile and said: "Hopefully you guys love me at the end of the year"

— Zac Stevens (@ZacStevensDNVR) September 30, 2025

Source: https://www.milehighreport.com/denver-broncos-news/159096/broncos-have-a-running-game

 

[Denver Broncos]

4 things we learned from the Broncos in win over Bengals

The Denver Broncos got themselves back to .500 on Monday night, ending a two game skid where they lost in walk-off fashion in both. While the Cincinnati Bengals are reeling without Joe Burrow and being exposed badly since he went down, the Broncos winning this game was by no means assured heading in. Denver had its own demons to slay.

And slay they did. After giving up a field goal on the opening drive, the defense completely shut down and shut out the Bengals for the rest of the game. Meanwhile, the Broncos ran up the yardage and the scoreboard on offense to come away with a convincing 28-3 win on prime time.

Here is what we learned from this Week 4 victory:

1. The benefits of a competent rushing attack.​

One common critique Broncos Country has had relative to Head Coach Sean Payton during his tenure with the Broncos is a lack of a consistent running game. Last night, fans finally got to witness a dominating rushing attack by the offense. Sure, it may have been against a low-tier opponent, but nearly 200-yards rushing is still impressive. Whether it was using J.K. Dobbins, RJ Harvey, or even some receivers and fullbacks, the Broncos were able to dictate the pace of the game and wear down the Bengals. It’s not reasonable to expect this sort of dominant performance consistently, but there is no doubt a great running game helps take pressure off both Bo Nix and the defense. Complimentary football rules! – Chris Hart

2. Denver can finally dominate weak opponents.​

How many times has Denver walked into a game they SHOULD win and instead play down to the opponent and make pedestrian defense look all world or be a get right game for bad offenses.

The Broncos looked like a playoff team whipping up on a non-playoff team. Which is super encouraging given the team’s record. After this game it helps you look at the 1-2 start differently. Dropping two really close games to hot opponents stings, but looks a lot better when you consider this team could be 4-0 if two moments go a different way.

This isn’t college, it’s the NFL. No game is a gimme, but it’s sure nice to see Denver finally make a team (regardless of how bad Cincinnati ends up) look completely outmatched. And that’s even with losing the turnover and penalty battle. – Jeff Essary

3. Finally got a glimpse of complimentary football.​

For the first time this season the Broncos played that all-important brand of football that every team looks for. The offense complemented the defense and vice versa. Oh, and special teams finally got right. Was it perfect? Was it against a Super Bowl favorite? No. But it’s about repetition and growing. Denver finally has a game where it played complementary football and it can build on that type of showing. And if they’re like me with cake, they’ll want more of that sweet feeling. – Ian St. Clair

4. Nothing.​

The Bengals were a flawed team with Joe Burrow. Without him, they’re one of the worst teams in the NFL and the Broncos took care of business. The Broncos still had penalties, a bad turnover, but the Bengals are so bad that it didn’t matter. Very little from this game will likely carry over into next week. – Scotty Payne

What is the one thing you learned from the Broncos-Bengals game? Share in the comments section below.​

Source: https://www.milehighreport.com/denv...-learned-denver-broncos-vs-cincinnati-bengals

 

[Denver Broncos]

Broncos Film Review: Garett Bolles vs the Bengals

Denver Broncos left tackle Garett Bolles is currently the league’s best pass-blocking offensive tackle (and Mike McGlinchey is also high up there with him as well), and after last season, we shouldn’t be surprised. Bolles is the NFL’s equivalent to a fine wine. He’s aged perfectly.

His game against the Cincinnati Bengals may have been his best work of the season. Trey Hendrickson couldn’t do a dang thing for essentially the entire night.

Now we get to break down some of the greatness we’re seeing out of Denver’s longest active tenured player.

Stat crunch​

Garett Bolles played 74 offensive snaps that weren’t kneel downs. He missed one snap on the final drive in the game, but besides that he played every offensive snap.

Out of Denver’s 33 designed run plays, the ball was ran behind Bolles 12 times for 76 yards (6.3 YPC). Eight of those runs were at least five yard gains, and the longest one was a 16-yard carry by JK Dobbins. He gave up zero TFLs.

On Denver’s 41 designed pass plays, Bolles gave up one pressure, zero QB hits, and zero sacks.

Bolles had zero “Bad” blocks, four “Meh” blocks, 10 “Alright” blocks, 58 “Good” blocks, and two “Great” blocks for a score of 70 points, or 94.6%. One of the highest grades I have ever given out.

In the run he had a score of 31 points or 93.9%.

In the passing game he had a score of 39, or 95.1%.

In general​

Besides one pressure given up on the first pass of the game, Bolles was absolute money. Hendrickson, or any other Bengal, were completely useless on the left edge of this offensive line.

What stood out to me the most was just how smooth Bolles was in pass protection. 90% of his snaps looked essentially the same. He’d get a great initial pass set, get hands on, wall off the rusher, then get a hand on the hip and wash him up field. His mix of great technique, a solid base, good hips, and strength are all used in such an efficient manner. It looked like Hendrickson had zero answers for this, which was true.

And while he’s the best pass-protecting offensive tackle in the league, that doesn’t mean that he’s a slouch in the run game. In fact, I had much more fun watching his run game film. There’s a certain amount of aggression, nastiness, and play-through-the-whistle ability that he brings to the table.

Bolles was moving guys off of the line of scrimmage when called upon. Or he was effectively walling off the backside. There was a play that Dobbins had to bounce to the backside, and his chunk run was only made possible because Bolles stayed on the backside DE for so long.

And it feels like there’s always at least one play where Bolles is blocking a guy through the whistle, resulting in a much-irritated defender. It always gives me a good chuckle.

Bolles was a great blocker in Denver’s Outside Zone and Toss concepts. On Monday. His reach blocks were always money, he always got the backside three tech, and he was fast to get to the boundary and always threw a good block. We’ll take a look at a play that had him blocking two guys on the same rep.

The specifics​

Good block – Duo – 21 personnel – I Formation – Gain of 8

Normally being able to smash a double team block on Duo or Inside Zone is an ability shown best buy the offensive guards, but Bolles works with Ben Powers here and they absolutely bully the DT off of the line of scrimmage.

Bolles does a great job with getting great hand placement as soon as he makes contact and driving with low pad level, allowing him to run the DT off of the ball. And when Powers comes off the block to pick up the backer, Bolles does a good job washing the DT to the right.

Good block – Crack Toss – 10 personnel – Singleback – Gain of 11

Reaching the 3-tech on the backside of a Toss or Outside Zone concept is not the hardest block a lineman can make. But it is not an easy one either, and failure on this block completely eliminates the chance of a cut back by the RB. You have to give a lot of credit to Powers on this play as leaving his backside hand on the DT gives Bolles more time to get across the DT and get the block.

Bolles turns his hips and runs parallel to the line of scrimmage to get proper leverage on this block. The one thing I’d fault him on is that he doesn’t really gain much ground laterally with his first step. Which is what makes the following steps more impressive, as Bolles is able to get completely across the face of the DT, even running past him down the field. This is a great display of athleticism by the 33-year old. And I wouldn’t expect this result if all I saw was the first step.

Great block – Pass protection – 11 personnel – Gun

This is perfect teach tape for what to do if the pass rusher tries to work inside on you after showing an outside rush.

The main weakness of Bolles’ technique that has him turn his hips out to wall off the DE if they get up field enough is that it leaves you vulnerable to an inside move due to hip positioning and feet, as this form makes it hard to transition back to the inside as the offensive lineman.

And finally for Hendrickson it looks like he might actually get a good rush on Bolles, but that door got slammed in his face, quickly. Bolles catches this move as soon as Hendrickson tries it, and besides him being able to turn his hips back to square with the line of scrimmage, the real key here is him getting his left hand on the hip of Hendrickson. Bolles then just drives his feet, almost turning this pass set into a run block, and puts Hendrickson into the ground. Fantastic.

Great block – Toss – 11 personnel – Singleback – Gain of 16

Here’s the play I was talking about earlier, where Bolles blocks two defenders on the same rep.

This is some more teach tape for offensive linemen of how to handle perimeter blocks on Toss plays. His get-off is fast and he gets to his spot quickly. A smart move by him here is when he throws his first block, he forces the defender to his backside, which eliminates him from the play. Realizing this, he looks for more work, and he just so happened to have the backside DT running right at him.

Just look at what Bolles does to him. He plants, throws the shoulder, and puts the big guy on the ground. One of my favorite parts of this play is how Bolles stands over him until another defender comes to stand up for his teammate.

Side note: the second-longest Denver Bronco, Courtland Sutton, throws a heckuva block on this play, pancaking the defensive end and putting him into the sideline. This is just incredible.

Final thoughts​

Garett Bolles is really good at what he does. Each game he more than earns his most recent contract extension. He is everything you want in your starting left tackle, both from a on-the-field and off-the-field perspective. He is a smart player with great technique that completely nullifies an opponents best pass rusher on a common basis.

There is nothing this offense needs that Bolles can’t do, and he does all of it at an exceptionally high level. And I will never get tired of being able to say this sort of stuff about him considering how his tenure with the Broncos started. He will always be one of my favorite players ever to wear the blue and orange.

Source: https://www.milehighreport.com/bron...ncos-film-review-garett-bolles-vs-the-bengals

 

[Denver Broncos]

Broncos vs. Eagles: Wednesday practice participation report

The Denver Broncos have their biggest non-conference game of the season as they travel east to take on the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. It’s also looking like they will be mostly healthy for that game, although they are still awaiting the return of Dre Greenlaw from short-term injured reserve.

Both Nik Bonitto and Alex Singleton were full participants today, while Jonah Elliss and Marvin Mims Jr. were both limited. The only non-participant was tight end Nate Adkins who is in the concussion protocol. On the Eagles side of things, they had four guys limited and tight end Dallas Goedert was held out with a knee issue.

Here is your full practice report for Wednesday.

Denver Broncos Injury Report​

Player	Pos.	Injury	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Game Status
Nik Bonitto	OLB	Wrist	FULL
Alex Singleton	ILB	Thumb	FULL
Jonah Elliss	OLB	Ribs	LIMITED
Marvin Mims Jr.	WR	Hip / Ankle	LIMITED
Nate Adkins	TE	Concussion	DNP

Philadelphia Eagles Injury Report​

Player	Pos.	Injury	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Game Status
Jalen Carter	DT	Shoulder	LIMITED
Nakobe Dean	LB	Knee	LIMITED
Adoree’ Jackson	CB	Groin	LIMITED
Lane Johnson	T	Shoulder	LIMITED
Dallas Goedert	TE	Knee	DNP

BOLD – Indicates change in status; NIR- Indicates not injury related; *- Team conducted a walk-through / report is an estimation; UNDERLINE– Player is on Reserve or Exempt List and has returned to practice
STATUS DEFINITIONS: Did not participate (DNP); Limited: means less than 100 percent of a player’s normal repetitions; Full—100 percent of player’s normal repetitions; Out: will not play; Doubtful: Unlikely to play; Questionable: Uncertain to play

Source: https://www.milehighreport.com/denv...0/broncos-vs-eagles-wednesday-practice-report

 

[Denver Broncos]

Broncos vs Eagles Week 5: Keys to the Game

Quite possibly the hardest game the Denver Broncos will have all season long takes place this Sunday in Philadelphia as they take on one of the two remaining undefeated teams.

There is good news though. Denver is coming off of a total domination of a victory against the Bengals (a lesser opponent, but confidence is confidence) and they get to carry that momentum into this week. And the Philadelphia Eagles are more vulnerable now than they have been all year.

Here’s how the Broncos can pull of a huge win on the road and secure one of the biggest upsets of the season.

1. Keep that pass rush chugging​

Once again the Broncos proved that they have the best pass rush in the league and Nik Bonitto looks to be as good as Von Miller was (I know that might be sacrilegious around here, but I said what I said). Jonathan Cooper has the league’s fastest average get-off speed at a mere 0.69 seconds (Bonitto is at 0.72 seconds and is tied for second) and both of those guys are top-10 in the league in EDGE pass rush win rate (according to PFF). Bonitto also is currently ties for the third-most sacks in the league at 4.5, just 0.5 sacks out of first place. As a team, the Broncos are still first in the league in sacks with 15.

Another thing to take note of is that Eagles’ Lane Johnson missed the second half of their game against the Bucs with a shoulder injury. He did return to practice this week, but he likely will not be 100% heading into this matchup.

2. Eliminate the Philadelphia run game​

Surprisingly, the Eagles have taken a huge nose dive with their rushing attack this season. Right now they are managing just 113 yards per game on the ground, and over their four games their rushing yards have decreased week over week. They failed to break 90-rushing-yard mark against the Rams and the Bucs. Saquon Barkley is averaging less than 60 yards a game and has just 3.1 yards per carry. Two of their seven TD’s have unsurprisingly come from the Tush Push at the one-yard line, and three of their rushing TD’s were scored in the first week of the season.

Most of their success on the year came in their season opener against the Cowboys, and since then things have only been slowing down. The Broncos have to keep Barkley contained, and they’ve done a good job against opposing RB’s this year. They have the 11th-best rushing defense, giving up 99 yards per game, and their defense has racked up 19 TFL’s over the first four games. Their front seven has been sniffing out all sorts of runs.

And I have plenty confidence in this defensive secondary to stifle the already poor passing attack the Eagles have (second-worst in the league at just 138 yards per game), so if they can take away the only thing that is really working for this Eagles offense, then they’re in business.

3. Keep these Denver running backs active​

For the first time since 2022 the Broncos have a 100-yard rusher in a single game. That took way to long to achieve again, but it sure feels good to have a running back that can put those sort of numbers up. And not only is JK Dobbins being supported by an offensive line that is winning up front at a solid rate (12th in the league in run success), RJ Harvey also put up 98 total yards on Monday, serving as a fantastic 1-2 punch.

Now the Broncos have to keep things going.

Even though the the Eagles rank in the bottom half of the league in rushing yards per game defensively, Jalen Carter is a nightmare of a matchup for this offensive line. Luke Wattenberg struggles against big, strong, and nasty defensive tackles, and that’s what Carter is about. He’s great in the run game, and Philly will need to lean on him, and this offense will have to specifically game plan for him.

My idea is that the Broncos lean into their Inside Trap game more than they have so far this year as Bolles and Meinerz are much more capable at dealing with a guy like Carter, and these quick-hitting run plays should be able to keep the defense on the back foot, or open up big lanes in the Play Action game.

I also like the way Denver runs their Outside Zone and Toss concepts as the offensive line executes those blocks at a high level. Toss is a great way to get to the boundary, where Carter has no chance of making a play.

And a special fourth key is to win the turnover battle. The Eagles have scored a large chunk of their points off of turnovers and boast a +4 turnover margin, tied for third-best in the league. They’ve been clean when it comes to maintaining possession of the ball too, as a lone fumble is the only turnover they’ve given up all year. The Broncos have a margin of -2. It’s up to Bo Nix and the offense to play a clean game, and the defense needs to find a way to make this Philly O crack.

Source: https://www.milehighreport.com/denv.../159244/broncos-vs-eagles-week-5-keys-to-game

 

[Denver Broncos]

Broncos vs. Eagles: Thursday practice participation report

The Denver Broncos had a new addition to their injury report on Thursday with guard Quinn Meinerz coming down with an illness. Head Coach Sean Payton was asked about it and noted it’s fine and just an illness. It sounded as if Meinerz is likely to be good to go this Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles.

The only other change for them was tight end Nate Adkins progressing back from a concussion to participate in a limited way at practice today. Meanwhile, the Eagles essentially had almost all of their players progressing in the right direction from their respective injuries.

Here is your full practice report for Thursday.

Denver Broncos Injury Report​

Player	Pos.	Injury	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Game Status
Nik Bonitto	OLB	Wrist	FULL	FULL
Alex Singleton	ILB	Thumb	FULL	FULL
Nate Adkins	TE	Concussion	DNP	LIMITED
Jonah Elliss	OLB	Ribs	LIMITED	LIMITED
Marvin Mims Jr.	WR	Hip / Ankle	LIMITED	LIMITED
Quinn Meinerz	G	Illness	—	DNP

Philadelphia Eagles Injury Report​

Player	Pos.	Injury	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Game Status
Jalen Carter	DT	Shoulder	LIMITED	FULL
Adoree’ Jackson	CB	Groin	LIMITED	FULL
Lane Johnson	T	Shoulder	LIMITED	FULL
Nakobe Dean	LB	Knee	LIMITED	LIMITED
Dallas Goedert	TE	Knee	DNP	LIMITED
Grant Calcaterra	TE	Illness	—	DNP

BOLD – Indicates change in status; NIR- Indicates not injury related; *- Team conducted a walk-through / report is an estimation; UNDERLINE– Player is on Reserve or Exempt List and has returned to practice
STATUS DEFINITIONS: Did not participate (DNP); Limited: means less than 100 percent of a player’s normal repetitions; Full—100 percent of player’s normal repetitions; Out: will not play; Doubtful: Unlikely to play; Questionable: Uncertain to play

Source: https://www.milehighreport.com/denv...12/broncos-vs-eagles-thursday-practice-report

 

[Denver Broncos]

Broncos vs. Eagles final injury report

The Denver Broncos have provided their final injury update ahead of their Week 5 matchup on the road against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Every Broncos’ player on the report the previous two days has progressed to full go for Sunday. That includes tight end Nate Adkins coming out of the concussion protocol, guard Quinn Meinerz who had an illness, wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. and edge rusher Jonah Elliss who were both nursing injuries earlier in the week.

The surprise today came from Lucas Krull who appears to have injured his foot and is now ruled out for this game. Reporting from Mike Klis of 9News alluded to Krull’s foot injury as a cracked bone in his foot and he will end up going onto short-term injured reserve. So he will be out many weeks.

On the Eagles side of things, everyone progressed back to full participants. However, linebacker Nakobe Dean was ruled out anyway. Other than that, all of their guys will be ready to roll on Sunday.

Here is your full practice report for Friday.

Denver Broncos Injury Report​

Player	Pos.	Injury	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Game Status
Nate Adkins	TE	Concussion	DNP	LIMITED	FULL	—
Nik Bonitto	OLB	Wrist	FULL	FULL	FULL	—
Jonah Elliss	OLB	Ribs	LIMITED	LIMITED	FULL	—
Quinn Meinerz	G	Illness	—	DNP	FULL	—
Marvin Mims Jr.	WR	Hip / Ankle	LIMITED	LIMITED	FULL	—
Alex Singleton	ILB	Thumb	FULL	FULL	FULL	—
Lucas Krull	TE	Foot	—	—	DNP	OUT

Philadelphia Eagles Injury Report​

Player	Pos.	Injury	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Game Status
Grant Calcaterra	TE	Illness	—	DNP	FULL
Jalen Carter	DT	Shoulder	LIMITED	FULL	FULL
Nakobe Dean	LB	Knee	LIMITED	LIMITED	FULL	OUT
Dallas Goedert	TE	Knee	DNP	LIMITED	FULL
Adoree’ Jackson	CB	Groin	LIMITED	FULL	FULL
Lane Johnson	T	Shoulder	LIMITED	FULL	FULL
Jihad Campbell	LB	NIR – Personal	—	—	DNP	—

BOLD – Indicates change in status; NIR- Indicates not injury related; *- Team conducted a walk-through / report is an estimation; UNDERLINE– Player is on Reserve or Exempt List and has returned to practice
STATUS DEFINITIONS: Did not participate (DNP); Limited: means less than 100 percent of a player’s normal repetitions; Full—100 percent of player’s normal repetitions; Out: will not play; Doubtful: Unlikely to play; Questionable: Uncertain to play

Source: https://www.milehighreport.com/denv...juries-marvin-mims-quinn-meinerz-jonah-elliss

 

[Denver Broncos]

Broncos hoping to forge their identity against the Eagles

This Sunday, the Denver Broncos have their biggest game of the season to date going up against the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. At 2-2, the Broncos are back to being a .500 ball club. It’s not the record they had hoped for at this juncture, and an even more surprising one considering the manner of their two losses.

Yet, there is no sense crying over spilt milk. The Broncos can’t change the past; they can only control what lies ahead of them. This weekend’s matchup is an opportunity for them to show the rest of the National Football League what type of team they are. Through four games, it’s hard to gauge what their identity is. They’ve shown flashes of brilliance on both offense in defense during that time. However, they have remained inconsistent in certain areas that have held back their overall potential.

After last week’s 28 point and 500-yard performance against the Cincinatti Bengals, the Broncos feel like they have makings of something special on the offensive side of the ball. While many fans thought it would be the year of Bo Nix through the air, the second-year signal caller seems to believe that a strong rushing attack will help the team ascend to greater heights and realize their full potential.

“I think we showed ourselves when we run the football early, we get into third-and-manageable. We stay on the field for longer, we score points. So that’s what we’re going to continue to try to work on and continue to do,” stated Nix with respect to the Broncos finding their offensive identity early on in the season.

Taking down the defending Super Champions won’t be easy. But Nix is right, a strong ground game on the road will help them control the pace of the game. It will also keep the Broncos’ defense fresh, who has a significant challenge going up against the likes of Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, and A.J. Brown. The Broncos have the star power on defense to match up against the talent Philadelphia has on offense, but the offense will need to sustain drives in order to set the defense up for success.

The task ahead of them is tough, but one the Broncos a perfectly capable of achieving if they limit their self-inflicted wounds and play disciplined. The Eagles are a team that has a penchant for forcing turnovers and doesn’t give the ball up. It’s one of the reasons they find themselves at 4-0 and winning close games, while the Broncos have split their first four.

“They’re doing a great job with the turnover ratio. I think they’ve only given the ball away one time in the first four weeks. They’re taking it away, their special teams, they have the blocked punt last week, the blocked field goal, blocked extra point against the Rams. All three phases are doing a good job. That’s one of the reasons they’re the champion,” remarked Head Coach Sean Payton taking notice of the formula for the success the Eagles endured in September.

If the Broncos are able to come away victorious on Sunday, it will give the team some newfound confidence heading into the second phase of the season. A 3-2 record looks a whole lot better than 2-3 leading up to next week’s international affair against the New York Jets. Historically, we’ve seen Payton coached teams go on strong runs in October. Maybe, just maybe, the Broncos will find a way to topple the defending champions and show the rest of the National Football League they are a force to be reckoned with.

Source: https://www.milehighreport.com/denv...ng-to-forge-their-identity-against-the-eagles

 

[Denver Broncos]

Ultimate Fan: A win begins and ends with the run game — on both sides of the ball

Last week’s win wasn’t exactly a statement game, but it was fun and it was a win!

And this week’s game should be a lot harder, but as our ultimate fan says, it could still be a statement game. The defending Super Bowl champs have a few cracks in their armor that the Broncos can take advantage of, but it’s more about Denver playing its best ball and forcing the Eagles to do the same. If that happens, Sunday’s matchup could be a lot of fun to watch regardless of the outcome.

But, of course, we all hope that outcome is a W, and Dondada64 is predicting just that (a fan after my own heart!) And as a former offensive lineman for the Colorado Springs Flames, who has a 2015 Hall-of-Fame induction to his name, he knows a thing or two about getting a win – it all starts on the ground (plus, he became a fan on possibly the most important game in Broncos’ history, so we know his opinion is gold, errrr…orange and blue!)

GO BRONCOS!

J.K. Dobbins Rankings, 2025:

'Explosive' Runs (10+ yds.): 1st (11)
'Explosive' Run % (Min. 50 att.): 1st (19.3%)
Rushing Avg. (Min. 50 att.): 2nd (5.7)
Rushing 1st Down % (Min. 50 att.): 3rd (28.1)
Rushing Yds.: 4th (323) pic.twitter.com/EjSzmUKgB4

— Tyler Gorse (@Tyler_Gorse_) October 2, 2025

Week 5: Broncos at Eagles​

MHR – Whew, finally another win! Even though the Bengals weren’t any good, how did that beatdown feel?
Dondada64: Bittersweet, honestly. I saw clear improvements across the board, but you can’t give too much credit for beating a team that’s arguably at the bottom of the league. Some might say the Bengals’ defense still showed up, but as Broncos fans, we’ve learned that when your offense goes three-and-out all day, it puts enormous pressure on even a solid defense. We’re better than our record suggests, but that was a game we were supposed to win in that type of fashion. I’m keeping it all in perspective.

MHR – So we’re on to the Eagles to begin a two-week road trip to the East Coast and then across the pond. What are the odds the Eagles might look past the Broncos and Denver sneaks away with a win against the defending Super Bowl champs?
Dondada64: “Heavy is the head that wears the crown.” The Eagles are champions, and that means no one takes them lightly. Every opponent gives them their best shot. That said, with us sitting at .500, traveling east, and not having faced them since 2021, and considering our 5-9 all-time record against them — there’s a small chance they view us as just another matchup. The Broncos actually match up well offensively against Philly. Despite both teams fielding strong defenses, I expect more of a shootout than people think. This could come down to whichever team has the ball last.

MHR – OK, so you’re saying there’s a chance? Good. How does Denver do that? I assume it starts with stopping last year’s Offensive Player of the Year (even if he’s not having quite the season he did in 2024)?
Dondada64: You’re absolutely right. Barkley is the key. The Eagles might have two legitimate No. 1 receivers in DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown, but Barkley changes everything. We’ve seen it before when Jonathan Taylor carved us up earlier this season. We struggle to contain shifty backs in space, and the Eagles have surely noticed that on tape. Vance Joseph will need to get creative with coverage assignments, maybe have Jahdae Barron shadow Barkley out of the backfield.

MHR – There’s a bit of a rift going on between Hurts and star wide receiver AJ Brown. Do you think the Broncos will be able to capitalize on Brown’s frustration and keep the air attack in check — or is this the kind of environment that is going to lead to Brown and Hurts having a breakout game together? Given Brown’s inconsistent production this season so far, is Pat Surtain in coverage or Riley Moss/Jahdae Barron for Brown?
Dondada64: That dynamic is the X-factor. I don’t think Hurts will feel pressured to force-feed Brown just to keep him happy. Hurts is a high-IQ, battle-tested quarterback who’s focused on winning. A smart coach doesn’t design a game plan targeting Pat Surtain II, and Brown won’t find much room there. If he’s open, Hurts will take a shot or two, but overall, I see Brown being a non-factor, like most receivers who face Surtain. An interesting tidbit, though, is Jalen Hurts is not ultra effective against zone and thrives in man coverage. Look for the Broncos to use some zone blitz looks that complement certain situations in down and distance.

MHR – Which pass-catcher on the Eagles is the biggest threat for the Broncos’ defense – Brown, DeVonta Smith or Dallas Goedert? Or is the offensive threat still mainly Hurts and Barkley?
Dondada64: DeVonta Smith is the guy that scares me most. In terms of pure athleticism, he might be more dangerous than Brown. But make no mistake, the most explosive player on that offense is still Barkley. Between their weapons, elite O-line, and that unstoppable “tush push,” it’s a complete offense. The Broncos will need near-perfect defense and at least one turnover to tilt this game in our favor.

MHR – The Broncos’ defense is tied for the lead in sack production at 15 on the season – an average of nearly 4 sacks a game. Any chance they can get close to that against Jalen Hurts?
Dondada64: I love our front! I’d take them over just about anyone right now, but the sack numbers won’t be as high this week. The Eagles’ offense doesn’t rely on deep dropbacks or 40 pass attempts. Hurts gets the ball out quickly, which limits sack opportunities. So while we have the capability, the game flow won’t lead to those types of sack numbers.

MHR – Vance Joseph’s defense will be compared to Vic Fangio’s defense. Which former Broncos’ head coach will have the more effective defense on Sunday?
Dondada64: Fangio is a brilliant defensive mind, no question. His only problem in Denver was that he never had a quarterback like Bo Nix. Joseph, meanwhile, is a strong defensive coach even if his head-coaching days didn’t pan out. I think Joseph’s unit will look more effective this Sunday, not because they’ll completely dominate, but because Denver’s offense is finally coming alive and is gonna take it to Philly. Still, fun fact: Joseph is 0-3 all-time against the Eagles as a coordinator and head coach.

The JOKER has been unleashed in Denver… and his name is RJ Harvey

The Alvin Kamara comparison is eerie @heykayadams | @Broncos pic.twitter.com/lDgMqoFwHB

— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) October 2, 2025

MHR – Last week the Broncos’ running game finally looked competent – in some circles they’d even say good. Although it was against a flailing team, are you encouraged by the rushing attack from JK Dobbins and RJ Harvey? Do you think we’ll see continued success even against this much stronger Eagles team?
Dondada64: This is what we love to see in Broncos Country — a big time run game that plays complementary to the passing attack. I’m more than encouraged by our run game; I’m ready to go buy a Dobbins jersey after this game. He is an elite running back and fits perfectly in Sean Payton’s offense.
Here’s where it gets juicy — we have found our “Joker” in RJ Harvey. I doubt it ever was Engram, and it always was Harvey. This fits Payton’s old scheme with the Saints with Mark Ingram splitting time with Alvin Kamara as the “Joker.” I’m excited to see what really could be if we pull the reins off and go full throttle past the learning phase of the first four games.

MHR – Bo Nix still needs a breakout game where his throws are consistently on target and to the right guy. Will this be the game or are we going to have to give it a little time?
Dondada64: This won’t be a breakout game for Bo Nix, but it will be a statement game for him. If he can pull out a win by just managing the offense without turnovers, this game will place him with the big dogs in terms of respect. You have to beat the champs to be the champs, and nothing says you’re on the right path like a big W against the best. His breakout game will come in the playoffs this year as he cements his status as a top 10 QB in the NFL.

MHR: As an experienced offensive lineman, how do you rate the Broncos’ O-line right now and what improvements would you suggest? And what advice do you have for Wattenberg after what seemed like 20 penalties in a row
I would rate our line as good right now on the brink of being great while they try to find their identity. Payton loves to run a 4-1 type of personnel set now and put the receivers away from the box, which is allowing the line to really go to work. We could improve if we let the linemen get a little more aggressive and fire off the ball more during drives. Linemen and the team in general love it when you let them get a helmet on a helmet and drive block the other team; it takes the will and spirit of the other team away. Wattenburg can get better by focusing on his job and role and trusting his QB a little better. Nix has the ability to get away from a blown assignment and still make plays; don’t make bone-headed penalties that kill a drive and momentum.

MHR – What kind of creative plays from Sean Payton would you like to see on Sunday? Which ones would you like him to never even think about in a million years? Any chance he has the offense do the Tush Push if they end up at the goal line?
Dondada64: While I don’t expect the Broncos to run the Tush Push, this is where we see the real confidence Payton has in this team. He is gonna open the playbook up and bring the kitchen sink with it. I’m expecting a lot of RPOs showcasing Nix’s footwork. He is gonna spread the field and give lanes for the backs and receivers to work some magic. He is so creative using our dynamic receivers to make sure the other team doesn’t stack the box and creating matchup nightmares for the defense, it’s fun to watch. What I hope we can move away from is the jet sweeps with receivers that have such a small frame, I get worried about the injuries from the Hogs squashing them.

MHR – Hurts has 5 touchdowns and no interceptions. The Eagles have had very few turnovers overall. But the offense has also seemed a little timid for all its talent. Is this a game where the Broncos take proper advantage of this early sputter from the Eagles and get some game-changing takeaways…pick six for Surtain perhaps?
Dondada64: Take-away margin is one of the biggest indicators of success in the NFL. To pull this one out we will need a turnover or maybe a halftime onside kick. Stealing a possession from the Eagles and keeping their offense off the field or controlling the clock is pivotal to victory. I don’t think Hurts is reckless with the ball so anticipate a fumble or blown assignment on the line that leads to something wild being the cause. My hope is it’s not us with the turnover, especially in the red zone.

MHR – Which ONE player on offense and ONE player on defense has to be an MVP on Sunday for this game to end with a check in the W column?
Dondada64: On the offense, the player we need to be an MVP is Courtland Sutton. As Courtland goes so go the Broncos. If he can use acrobatic catches to grab us a touchdown, we will be cooking with hot grease. It’s as if his touchdowns are demoralizing to the other team; he sets a tone for offense that I don’t see other players set.
On defense we need someone to cover Barkley out of the backfield. I don’t know who is capable or up to that job and maybe it’s better if by committee. Perhaps seeing Hufanga shadowing him now and then and cleaning up the mess all around the field will be the difference we need.

MHR – What is one word to describe the season so far? What one word do you hope describes it the rest of the season?
Dondada64: I look at stats and numbers a lot, and Sean Payton does not have a great record in September. He front-loads his team with expectations and demands and they pay off in the back end. So my word for the season is “expected.” I expected the Broncos to be learning themselves and developing chemistry to defeat the Eagles, Chiefs and Chargers and Packers in the last half of the season.

MHR – Philly is known as a tough place to play and this seems like a really tough game for Denver to win. But we thought that last year when the Broncos went on the road for two games on the East Coast and got two wins. Will that Mile High Magic travel with the Broncos again?
Dondada64: Philly is as tough a place to play as you can get; they have even roughed up Santa Claus, so no one gets a pass. Broncos fans are worldwide and Broncos Country will send out that Mile High Magic so it will be in the air. This will be a game the Broncos can feel that magic from across the nation and will use it to play hard.

Ready for #DENvsPHI

Broncos relish the challenge of facing the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles » https://t.co/lP1uhtlsrz pic.twitter.com/qNP6qYlqha

— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) October 3, 2025

Predictions​

Stats for BO NIX? 20 of 28, 275 yards, 2 touchdowns

Stats for each Broncos RB? Dobbins 15 carries and 2 receptions for 87 yards and 1 touchdown.

Harvey 8 touches and 3 receptions for 75 yards

Number of yards receiving/TDs for the receivers? 225 and 1 TD

Longest FG from Lutz this week? 54

Number of sacks to Jalen Hurts? 3

Broncos player with the most tackles? Singleton with 12

Who gets the first sack of the game for the Broncos? Cooper

Who gets the most sacks? Bonitto

How many INTs/FF/FR for the Eagles D? 0

How many INTs/FF/FR for the Broncos D? 1

How many TushPushes by the Eagles? 2 The Broncos??? 0

How many Broncos’ penalties negate a big play? 1

Final Score? 27-24, Broncos

The Broncos and Sean Payton believe they are a Super Bowl contender. But before they can be that team, they need to prove they can beat the game's elite — like the Eagles. My thoughts on why Sunday's game isn't a be-all, end-all … but is significant nonetheless: pic.twitter.com/wKAzR1zfIw

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) October 4, 2025

The Favorites ​

Favorite Broncos win ever? The Drive

Favorite Orange Crush win? RAIDERS

Favorite Peyton Manning win? 7 touchdowns vs Ravens

Favorite John Elway win? Superbowl 32

Favorite win by any other Broncos QB? Brock Oswieler vs Patriots

Team you love to beat the most in the AFC West? Kansas City Cheaters, I mean, Chiefs

Coach you despise most in the NFL? HARBAUGH

Team you hate to lose to the most in the rest of the AFC (outside AFC West)? Patriots

NFC team you could cheer for in the Super Bowl? RAMS

NFC team you’d want to face more than any other in the Super Bowl? Giants

Toughest game remaining on the schedule? Chargers

Favorite Broncos player on the current roster? Nik Bonitto

Favorite Broncos player of all time not named John Elway? Champ Bailey

Favorite new guy/rookie on the team? Harvey

Food/Snack you have to eat on game day? Wings are for winners (*editor’s note: Bone-in, I assume?)

Favorite game analyst/commentator? John Madden

Who is on your Broncos Mt. Rushmore? Elway, Davis, Von Miller, Champ Bailey

How did you become a Broncos fan?
I moved from Texas to Colorado when I was seven. That same night, the Broncos were playing the Browns in the AFC Championship. Watching The Drive unfold, the emotion, the electricity, I was hooked for life. Been riding with the Broncos ever since.

Source: https://www.milehighreport.com/denv...s-with-the-run-game-on-both-sides-of-the-ball

 

[Denver Broncos]

Week 5: Broncos vs. Eagles – Live Coverage

The Denver Broncos are fresh off a blowout home win on prime time last week, but will face a tough test on the road in Week 5 against the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles. Denver will need to bring its best football on both sides of the ball if they hope to win this game. The Eagles have proven elite at finding ways to win close games with all four wins coming in one-score affairs.

Kickoff is set for 11:00 a.m. Mile High time on Sunday, October 5, 2025 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. You can watch the live stream of the game through FuboTV or on CBS. The game will be called by Jim Nantz (play-by-play), Tony Romo (analyst), and Tracy Wolfson (sideline). You can also check local Broncos radio network affiliate stations.

• Game Information
• Gameday Inactives
• Everything we have on this game

Broncos vs. Eagles score predictions​

According to FanDuel, the Broncos opened 4.5-point road underdogs to the Eagles and that line has not shifted all week long. In fact, the Broncos are one of the most bet underdogs this week as gamblers think there is a good chance for Denver to be competitive in this game. I actually have them covering the spread in my prediction here, but I’m still wary of the 2-8 record in one-score games since 2024. When they start evening those one-score games out, I’ll begin to be a bit more confident they can find a way to win in a close, hard fought game. I’m not confident that starts against the defending Super Bowl champions, however.

Prediction: Eagles 24, Broncos 20.

Join the discussion in the comments section below.​

Broncos vs. Eagles live updates​

Gettin' warm #DENvsPHI pic.twitter.com/STuTZEi6Fk

— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) October 5, 2025

Almost go time @PatSurtainll x #DENvsPHI pic.twitter.com/epAmbSblCQ

— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) October 5, 2025

Broncos lose the coin toss by calling heads. Eagles defer. Denver ball first.

Broncos lose the coin toss for the first time in the 2025 season; they fall to 4-1 on coin tosses.

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) October 5, 2025

3rd and 4..

Nix goes deep to Sutton and it goes right through his hands and it'll be a 3 and out

— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) October 5, 2025

Mims with a 20+ yard punt return

— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) October 5, 2025

Quite the stat from the CBS broadcast:

CB Pat Surtain II has gone 34 consecutive games without allowing 70 receiving yards.

— Aric DiLalla (@AricDiLalla) October 5, 2025

FIRST DOWN

Great throw by Bo Nix and great job by Courtland Sutton to get open at the last second

— Zac Stevens (@ZacStevensDNVR) October 5, 2025

Clear two-down territory here for the #Broncos as Nix throws for Sutton well short of the sticks on third down.

Offense still out there for fourth-and-3 at the 40.

— Parker Gabriel (@ParkerJGabriel) October 5, 2025

BRONCOS GOT THE FIRST DOWN

on 4th and 3, Broncos drew the 1st down off an Eagles encroachment

— Zac Stevens (@ZacStevensDNVR) October 5, 2025

Ruled an incomplete pass.

Broncos ball.

No turnover.

— Zac Stevens (@ZacStevensDNVR) October 5, 2025

Wil Lutz is GOOD from 55 yards out.

Broncos are BEATING the Eagles 3-0.

— Zac Stevens (@ZacStevensDNVR) October 5, 2025

Eagles will be pinned inside the 20 after that poor return

— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) October 5, 2025

Wide-open hole on an outside-zone pitch to Saquon Barkley and he goes for 18 yards. Eagles moving now

— Luca Evans (@bylucaevans) October 5, 2025

Eagles and Jalen Hurts are just picking #Broncos' defense apart with play-action game

— Luca Evans (@bylucaevans) October 5, 2025

Number 1 red zone offense for Philly vs #1 red zone defense for Denver

Money matchup

— Nick Kendell 🏔 (@NickKendellMHH) October 5, 2025

Broncos' defense forces the Eagles first red zone field goal of their season.

That's a HUGE stop for the Broncos.

— Zac Stevens (@ZacStevensDNVR) October 5, 2025

Chunk play from Bo Nix to Troy Franklin as time expires in the first quarter.

A 20-yard gain pushes Denver near midfield.

3-3 at the end of the first frame.

— Aric DiLalla (@AricDiLalla) October 5, 2025

Broncos at Eagles first quarter recap https://t.co/zt3GOmS8Xl

— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) October 5, 2025

Za'Darius Smith's sack knocks them out of field goal range

DENvsPHI on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/yTPtEwYL0J

— NFL (@NFL) October 5, 2025

Crawshaw pins the Eagles at their own 9 yard line

— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) October 5, 2025

3rd and 12..

Eagles jumped, false start

— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) October 5, 2025

3rd and 17..

Hurts goes DEEP and finds Devonta Smith for a 50+ yard gain with Moss in coverage

— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) October 5, 2025

Jalen Hurts with a beautiful deep ball to DeVonta Smith!

DENvsPHI on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/i0w8Gm2jV7

— NFL (@NFL) October 5, 2025

Another penalty derails yet another Broncos offensive drive.

— Zac Stevens (@ZacStevensDNVR) October 5, 2025

Eagles LOSE the challenge.

Play stands.

Eagles lose a timeout.

— Zac Stevens (@ZacStevensDNVR) October 5, 2025

3rd and 13..

Allen and Bonitto SACK!!

— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) October 5, 2025

Tyler Badie screen gets a first down and gets the Broncos' offense rolling.

Two minute warning.

— Zac Stevens (@ZacStevensDNVR) October 5, 2025

Don't know what happened there. Bo Nix airs it out for Troy Franklin on a 3rd-and-5 and was too long but Franklin also stopped running.

Nix gave the ref an earful on way back to sideline. #Broncos are 1-7 on third down.

— Luca Evans (@bylucaevans) October 5, 2025

Hurts throws incomplete!! Pressure from Allen and the Broncos will have a chance to score points before the half here

— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) October 5, 2025

oh no.

Officials pick up the DPI.

Seemed uncatchable.

Brutal for the Broncos.

— Zac Stevens (@ZacStevensDNVR) October 5, 2025

Broncos at Eagles second quarter recap https://t.co/35oP0rkMoL

— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) October 5, 2025

How to beat the @Broncos pic.twitter.com/35JUD7Xgmc

— Zack (@NixForSix) October 5, 2025

Have to question Vance too. Why is Singleton even being put in that position? We all know he doesn't have the chops to remotely handle Barkley in coverage but you're going to man him up one on one?

— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) October 5, 2025

What a move by Bo Nix there on that cutback. Made a guy miss in a phone booth like he was an RB. My goodness

— Luca Evans (@bylucaevans) October 5, 2025

Nice run by JK…gain of 17

— Ryan Edwards (@redwardsradio) October 5, 2025

3rd and 21..

Mims gains a few and right on the edge of field goal range

— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) October 5, 2025

Broncos today as of 7:18 remaining in the third quarter:

Points: 3
Punts: 6
Penalties: 8

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) October 5, 2025

TEs and RBs in the flat is how you beat the Broncos defense

— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) October 5, 2025

Broncos are averaging 4.8 ypc.

There's still 20 minutes left in the game.

No need to abandon the run.

— Zac Stevens (@ZacStevensDNVR) October 5, 2025

Bo Nix has completed 48% of his passes.

— Zac Stevens (@ZacStevensDNVR) October 5, 2025

3rd and 2..

Incomplete pass to Mims. Bad throw and wouldn't have been a 1st anyways.

Lifeless effort against a contender once again

— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) October 5, 2025

Hufanga…how do you not intercept that

— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) October 5, 2025

Nik Bonitto with another sack. He's up to 6.0 on the season.

— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) October 5, 2025

Eagles keeping the door slightly open for the Broncos. They need to take advantage of it if they want a chance

— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) October 5, 2025

Sluggish, defensive slugfest in the second half since Philly's scoring drive. Broncos still trail the Eagles 17-3 entering the fourth quarter.

Denver is driving, though, with the ball at Philly's 33-yard line to begin Q4.

— Jon Heath (@ByJonHeath) October 5, 2025

Broncos in the red zone after a first down to Franklin

— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) October 5, 2025

McGlinchey limps off and Palczewski will take over at RT

— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) October 5, 2025

Broncos at Eagles third quarter recap https://t.co/m4TeYqJdTG

— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) October 5, 2025

Source: https://www.milehighreport.com/game-day-threads/159467/broncos-vs-eagles-full-coverage