The Denver Broncos play their first road game and toughest test of the season thus far in Week 3 when they take on the Miami Dolphins. The Broncos have disappointed thus far through two weeks, but it's really only been the defense disappointing. By all metrics thus far, the Broncos' offense is one of the best in the NFL.
They are scoring nearly 25 points per game and Russell Wilson has a 100+ passer rating and five touchdown passes already. I would advise you to not listen to those who are still saying that Russell Wilson isn't any good because that hasn't been the case so far. Defensively, Denver has been a mess, and I think it's a mixture of Vance Joseph simply not being a good defensive coordinator and the defense not having many good players.
It's a mess on that side of the ball, and I would hate to see a great offensive season wasted by the defense, which is not something we are used to hearing in Broncos Country. Let's dive into three matchups to watch out for in Week 3 for the Denver Broncos.
3 matchups to watch for Denver Broncos vs. Miami Dolphins in Week 3
1. Russell Wilson vs. Vic Fangio
The Miami Dolphins defense has not been good so far in 2023. And I am not surprised. When Vic Fangio first arrived in Denver, the Broncos defense took several weeks to finally gel together. I suppose his defenses are complex to understand? At least that's what I can take from the Dolphins' slow start on that side of the ball.
The team is also missing Jalen Ramsey for another couple of months, and he is a perfect fit for Fangio's defense. Well, I'm curious to see how the defense plays against Russell Wilson and how Wilson performs. DangeRuss has already taken nine sacks, and one thing to know about Fangio's defenses is that he doesn't blitz a ton and likes to try and create natural pressure.
Don't expect Miami to "send the dogs" much at Wilson. Perhaps if Denver is in some third-and-long situations, Fangio would be more likely to blitz. He'll try and create pressure with stunts and rely on his talented DL to simply win their matchups.
This could buy Wilson more time in the pocket if the Broncos' OL can hold up, which would be great for the offense.
2. Vance Joseph vs. Mike McDaniel
Maybe the most lopsided matchup in the NFL this weekend, Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph will have the misfortune of going up against Mike McDaniel, who has quickly proven himself to be one of the best offensive minds in the NFL.
He has quickly turned Tua Tagovailoa into one of the premier passers in the NFL, and it's being done playing behind a poor offensive line and a run game that isn't always up to par. To be honest, I am horrified about this matchup. I truly don't think Joseph is going to have any answers for Miami's offense. I hope I'm proven wrong.
The secondary will have a tough task ahead, facing off against Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill, two of the fastest players in the NFL. My only piece of hope I'm going to grab onto is the Broncos' defensive front being able to break through Miami's below-average offensive line, but I'm not holding my breath.
I don't really think Denver will have much of an issue putting up points in Week 3 at all. But I am worried that Denver won't be able to hold Miami under 35 points. That kind of feels like the number to beat for Sunday.
I think whichever team hits 35 points first, wins. Both Miami and Denver have had a pretty easy time moving the ball this season. And in fact, both team's defenses haven't been that great, so this matchup features two similar teams with many connections.
3. Denver Broncos vs. Penalties
The Denver Broncos have been called for 19 penalties this year, which is tied for the league lead. Folks, that is not good. They were tied for the second-most penalties last year with 113. They're currently on pace for 156 penalties in 2023. I'm not sure what exactly Sean Payton and the coaching staff are doing, but it's also a strong possibility that Denver simply doesn't have many good players on the team.
Maybe the coaching staff is properly coaching these players on what and what not to do to avoid being called for penalties, but I think Denver's roster isn't as good as some of us originally thought, including me. Well, Denver gets to face their most talented opponent of the year so far in Week 3, and obviously, being called for another 10 penalties this game is going to make life even harder than it's going to be.
What the Broncos seem to excel at if nothing else is committing penalties during potentially big plays while on offense, and committing penalties right as their defense gets a huge stop. It just feels like they get called for infractions at the worst possible time, and that simply cannot happen in Week 3.