Denver Broncos: Behind Enemy Lines with The Landry Hat

PO: An interesting stat is that the Dallas Cowboys have not won against the Denver Broncos since 1995. What do you think the Cowboys need to do to change that this year?

TLH: Going into Sports Authority Field at Mile High has always been a tough task. With one of the loudest crowds in the entire NFL combined with the stigma related to acclimatizing to the higher elevation, the Broncos certainly seem to have solid home field advantage. But Denver was a mere 4-4 at home last season, which makes me think this is a winnable game for the Cowboys. Obviously, Dallas will need to find some kind of success on offense against one of the top defenses in the league.

But I think the real key is the Cowboys’ defense. Although they limited the Giants to just three points in a Week One victory, I’m not quite ready to crown this defensive unit as one of the best in football. With unanswered questions surrounding their ability to pass rush and several very young, inexperienced players having to occupy major roles on that side of the ball, it’s unclear if their performance in the opener was an indication of their overall improvement or simply a fluke. The answer is likely somewhere in between.

PO: Who is the one player on the Dallas roster that not a lot of fans are talking about that Denver should look out for in this game? 

TLH: I think that player is rookie cornerback Chidobe Awuzie. The Cowboys’ second round selection played his college ball at Colorado, so this is a bit of an early homecoming for him. With the hand injury suffered by veteran corner Orlando Scandrick against the Giants in Week One, Awuzie is the player likely to benefit most from the additional snaps on defense. Despite being limited in the preseason and through training camp with both ankle and hamstring injuries, the 22-year old performed well in his professional debut.

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At 6’0, 202 pounds, Awuzie is a good-sized cornerback that possesses the speed to mirror receivers downfield and the tackling ability that allowed him to play safety and linebacker in college. But “Chido” did tweak his ankle on the very last play against the New York Giants on Sunday night. The rookie appeared on Dallas’ injury report but was a full participant in practice. It seems very likely that he’ll play against the Broncos. And if he does, don’t be surprised if his name pops up a time or two on some big defensive plays.

Thank You Steven for taking the time out to chat with me. If you want to see what he and the rest of The Landry Hat staff are up to, visit them here.