3 Broncos players who must play well in Week 2 for a victory over Steelers

The Denver Broncos seek to earn their first win of the 2024 NFL Season in Week 2 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Broncos Week 1 loss was a bit frustrating, as the game felt like it was going their way in the first half, but their run defense kind of fell apart in the second half, leading to the Seattle Seahawks pulling away.

If the team wants to win in Week 2, they'll have to have certain players set up and simply play at or near their best. The Steelers aren't a great team, but they're no slouches, either. The Denver Broncos must get some great performance from these players if they hope to win in Wee

3 Broncos players who must play well in Week 2 for a victory over Steelers
Mike McGlinchey, RT

TJ Watt will rush on Mike McGlinchey's side, so the veteran RT is going to have his hands full in Week 2. I'd imagine that the Broncos will have a tight end chip Watt on occasion, but this is going to fall on the shoulders of the RT that Denver signed last offseason. McGlinchey began 2023 pretty rough but did seem to settle in more toward the end of the season.

This is why Denver is paying McGlinchey top-of-the-market money at the right tackle spot. If he wants to stick around for the long-term and even earn another contract from the team, he's got to win some of these matchups. Watt is not only the best pass-rusher in the NFL, but he's clearly on a Hall of Fame pace and one of the best of this century.

He's amassed 97.5 sacks and 201 QB hits in just 105 regular season games. If McGlinchey can keep Watt out of the backfield in Week 2, Denver's chances on offense get that much better.

Marvin Mims Jr or Troy Franklin, WR

Marvin Mims Jr inexcusably played just 12 snaps in Week 1, the lowest of all active Broncos wide receivers. Troy Franklin was inactive in Week 1 but is going to be active in Week 2 with the injury to Devaughn Vele. It's clear that Mims and Franklin are the team's most explosive players at this position, and Mims was able to show that at times in 2023.

Mims didn't play nearly enough snaps on offense in 2023 but was the best return specialist in the NFL. Many Broncos fans are confused as to why Mims isn't getting more snaps. There has to be a deliberate effort in Week 2 to feed Mims the ball, and some play-action passing would also be key for Franklin to haul in a deep pass or two.

These two players are also dynamic enough to get them the ball close to the LOS and have them create YAC. I do not care how the ball gets in their hands; if Denver wants to win in Week 2, they need to have a huge part in the game.

Jonathon Cooper, EDGE

Jonathon Cooper had two sacks and four QB hits in Week 1 against the Seattle Seahawks offensive line, and we're slowly getting to a point with Cooper where he's turning into a true EDGE rusher and someone the Broncos are going to need to rely on more and more. He's the team's best player off the edge and may play himself into a huge contract extension with Denver.

Outside of Cooper, guys like Nik Bonitto and Baron Browning have had their moments, but no one has been as consistent as Cooper. Denver needs to be able to disrupt the game at times in the backfield. Justin Fields is a dual-threat QB, so he's probably going to burn Denver on the ground at least once.

Getting in the backfield quickly to disrupt Fields potentially destroying the Broncos on the ground is going to be huge. Being that Jonathon Cooper is the team's best rusher, a lot of this is going to fall on him.