The Denver Broncos finally saw the much-awaited return and debut of free agent signing Dre Greenlaw this past week against the Giants, and it paid immediate dividends. In limited snaps, he made an immediate impact and showed exactly why the Broncos inked him to a three-year contract. In his Denver debut, he was as excited as anyone for Will Lutz's game-winning field goal as time expired.
Following the kick, Greenlaw chased down referee Brad Allen and "verbally threatened" him, per the NFL. Video from the game shows Allen pushing Broncos linebacker Justin Strnad, which seemed to prompt the reaction from Greenlaw. This, of course, apparently did not matter as the NFL upheld Greenlaw's suspension. After a game of atrocious and disgusting officiating, Brad Allen, of course, needed the last laugh.
The Broncos are now set to be without Greenlaw for another game. In total, this will leave Denver without him for seven of its first eight games. The Broncos face one of the NFL's premier offenses on Sunday in the Dallas Cowboys, and are now one star weaker in their second level. Greenlaw made an immediate impact on Sunday and now must watch Denver's next game from the sidelines.
The Broncos defense's task of slowing down the Cowboys just got that much more difficult
The task at hand for Vance Joseph this week is a difficult one: slow down a Dallas offense that currently has a top-tier quarterback, running back, tight end, and pair of receivers. This task is that much more difficult now that the Broncos will be without the presence of Dre Greenlaw, who figured to be in line for a larger role this week.
Denver will need to once again turn to the tandem of Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad to man the middle of the field.
Luckily for the Broncos, both linebackers have been playing much better of late, especially last Sunday against the Giants. Strnad's game-changing interception proved to be pivotal to the Broncos' chances against the Giants, aided by how Singleton blew up Cam Skattebo in the backfield in pass protection to force Dart to step up into a swarm of Bronco defenders. Ultimately, all three Bronco inside backers played a strong game last Sunday and had a hand in their winning effort.
The overarching issue for the Broncos will be essentially a setback for Greenlaw. Another missed game not only limits his ability to play but also limits how many snaps he'll see when he returns against the Texans in Houston. If the Broncos are still serious about easing Greenlaw back into action, he might not see full-time play for a while. For Denver, this makes life much more complicated than it needs to be.