Denver Broncos: Stream Info and week three preview vs. Ravens
By Brad James
The Denver Broncos have a chance to rectify their mistakes of the past on the road. Baltimore presents a golden opportunity for this.
Sunday, the Denver Broncos face their stiffest test of the young season, the first road game of the campaign, against the Baltimore Ravens.
Head coach Vance Joseph has an opportunity to improve upon road games from last season and he’s already changed such things as the conventional itinerary, per the Durango (Colo.) Herald. This past week, Joseph celebrated his 46th birthday and the adage has always been “one year older and wiser too.” We’ll see if this comes to pass at Baltimore on Sunday.
The Broncos went 22-10 on the road in the Peyton Manning era but were 1-7 last season away from 5,280 feet. If the Broncos are really an improved team from last season, this obviously must change.
Things have begun comparably, relatively speaking, to last season. Just as in 2017, the Broncos capitalized on home field advantage the first two games of the season and started 2-0.
However, the Broncos failed miserably week three, playing in the early window at Buffalo and losing 26-16 to the Bills. With the exception of a win against Oakland the following week, the Broncos proceeded to lose 11 of 14 games down the stretch.
There are signs suggesting things are different this season. The running game actually works in 2018. The Broncos’ running offense, galvanized by Royce Freeman (23 carries, 99 yards, one touchdown, 4.8 yards per carry) and Phillip Lindsay (32 touches, 213 scrimmage yards, one receiving TD) is second in the NFL at 157 rushing yards per game.
Additionally, despite his four interceptions, signal-caller Case Keenum has been a godsend for this Broncos’ offense. They actually have a leader they can rely upon.
In gutty wins against the Seattle Seahawks and Oakland Raiders, Keenum (44 of 74, 551 yards 3 TD’s/4 INT’s in 2018) showed gumption and fortitude. These are not traits I feel comfortable affixing to his predecessors in Trevor Siemian, Paxton Lynch, and Brock Osweiler.
Additionally, Keenum is 13-3 (.813) over the course of the past two seasons (regular season record). The only NFL QB with a better record than that in this same span is Philadelphia Eagles rising star quarterback Carson Wentz, who is 11-2 (.846) and returns to action Sunday against Indianapolis.
To be honest, I’m from the old school. I saw current Broncos general manager and executive vice president of football operations John Elway win games like this for the Broncos all the time in my childhood. They were not generally Rembrandts, but he always found a way to pull it out in the end.