After a miraculous Week 7 win over the Giants, the Broncos are sitting in as strong of position through seven games as they have in almost a decade. The Broncos last sat at 5-2 nine seasons ago in 2016, a year removed from winning Super Bowl 50. If the Broncos want to avoid the same fate as the 2016 team, a hot start followed by a playoff-less collapse, they'll need a few key players to step up down the stretch.
Luckily for the Broncos, they face arguably the worst defense in the NFL this week in the Dallas Cowboys. With that being the case, a few Broncos are going to have the chance to stake their claim to an important role down the stretch. Following a massive comeback win on Sunday afternoon against the Giants, the Broncos should be riding high on momentum anyway.
Two Broncos in particular walked away from Sunday as major winners, one on the offense and one on the defense. If they can turn in strong performances against Dallas, they could grab a stronghold on a contributing role as the playoff stretch draws near. If they can build on their momentum, look for these two to have a big hand in Denver's game plan against Dallas this week.
Justin Strnad and Marvin Mims Jr. have the most to gain in Week 8 against the Cowboys
Following his incredibly important interception of Jaxson Dart on Sunday afternoon, Justin Strnad figures to get another heavy dosage of snaps this week after the suspension of Dre Greenlaw. While Alex Singleton continues to see every snap effectively in every game, questions about Strnad's playing time came into question once Dre Greenlaw returned. Strnad answered some of those questions on Sunday by turning in Denver's highest-rated PFF performance, highlighted by his aforementioned interception and a QB hit on Jaxson Dart.
If the Broncos are serious about putting their best group on the field, Strnad needs to continue to see significant snaps. He has shown the ability to be an impact piece on the defense, and a dip in his snaps could lead to further issues in the second level. Speaking of a dip in snaps, the Broncos might want to increase the snap share of Marvin Mims Jr. Through seven games, Mims has a snap count of just 43%, significantly lower than it should be.
Mims is often first thought of as a returner, of which he is a former All-Pro, but his recent receiving performances should change that. Mims hauled in six receptions for 85 yards on Sunday, including two major receptions to help energize the Broncos' comeback. Mims netted 98 all-purpose yards on Sunday afternoon, proving to be more than just a gadget player. He showed off his ability to make contested catches, work the middle of the field, and make receivers miss when he has open space. With another big game in Week 8, he could see far more snaps down the stretch.