3 things the Denver Broncos must do to beat the Baltimore Ravens in Week 9

The Denver Broncos are not favored to win in Week 9 against the Baltimore Ravens, but they could win if they do these three things. Perhaps the biggest test of the year for the surging Denver Broncos, they travel to Baltimore to face the Ravens in Week 9. The Ravens and Broncos are both 5-3 through eight games.

Baltimore is coming off of a horrific loss against Jameis Winston and the Cleveland Browns, and the Broncos are coming off of their fifth win in six games, most recently taking down the Carolina Panthers. Playing the Ravens off of a loss kind of scares me, as this team is as motivated as any in the NFL.

And this game being in Baltimore may make it too much for Denver to overcome, but you just never know. If Denver can do these three things, they stand a chance at taking down the Ravens in Week 9.

3 things the Denver Broncos must do to beat the Baltimore Ravens in Week 9
Take away Lamar Jackson or Derrick Henry's legs

The most dynamic and explosive duo in the NFL this year is Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson. The two have combined for 1,447 rushing yards this year. That comes out to 181 yards a game between the two. That, folks, is insane.

By my estimation, the Broncos won't win this game unless they takeaway one of their running abilities. It makes the Ravens offense that much more one-dimensional. The team has excellent coverage cornerbacks, so they'll be able to hold up against the pass.

The Broncos have been decent against the run this year but are better against the pass and are also better rushing the passer, and honestly, their ability to stop the run has been the "weakest" part of their defense, and I use quotes because the Broncos have the best unit in the NFL by my estimation.

Allowing Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry to run wild is going to tire the unit out and is going to allow the Ravens to get out to an early lead and play with that lead for most of the game. That is a recipe for disaster.

Expose clear weakness in Ravens secondary

The Baltimore Ravens have the worst passing defense in the NFL. They are allowing nearly 300 yards per game through the air. It's actually a horrid unit. Well, this gives the Broncos offense a clear weakness to exploit, so the hope is that they do it. With the Ravens having the best run defense in the NFL, if Denver isn't able to throw the ball, they're screwed, period.

The team has been able to throw the ball down the field as of late. Bo Nix looked extremely comfortable in the pocket and was dealing. If not for a huge drop by Troy Franklin and a fumble by Courtland Sutton at the goal line, Nix could have had two more touchdown passes, which would have given him five on the day.

Let's be honest here; the Broncos have been able to move the ball through the air over the last month and a half, an they have an extremely weak passing defense in Week 9. Making some plays through the air has to be done.

Hold the ball for as long as possible on offense

Let's be honest; the Denver Broncos are not as good as the Baltimore Ravens. This is an away game for Denver, and the team just won't be favored at all. However, the one way that teams can pull off upsets is to work to hold the ball for as long as possible on offense.

The Denver Broncos beat the Kansas City Chiefs in Denver in 2023, and a huge reason why was because the team ran the snot out of the ball and just bled time off the block. This is how the Broncos should go about their Week 9 tilt against the Ravens. I understand that Baltimore has the best run defense in the NFL, but KC also had a quite good defense when the two teams met in Denver in 2023.

Any defense can be exposed, and if Denver wants to win this game, they'll work to hold the ball for as long as possible on offense.