3 Week 1 disasters the Broncos must avoid in Week 2 against the Steelers

The Broncos will have their first home game of the 2024 NFL Season in Week 2, as they host the Pittsburgh Steelers. Can they play a cleaner game? Let's have some perspective here; Denver lost by one touchdown playing with a rookie QB making his first NFL start in a very hostile environment.

Honestly, when you consider all the factors, and consider just how poorly other QBs have played making their NFL debuts, Denver's loss does not seem all that bad, and head coach Sean Payton did not seem worried at all in the postgame press conference.

However, there were some things to clean up, and if Denver hopes to score a Week 2 win against the Pittsburgh Steelers, they must avoid these Week 1 disasters.

3 Week 1 disasters the Broncos must avoid in Week 2 against the Steelers
Broncos must be able to run the ball more

The Denver Broncos were facing a fierce Seahawks defensive front and they just were not able to consistently run the ball. Bo Nix led the way with 35 rushing yards, so there's that. Denver had just 99 rushing yards on the day, so the run game was far from Nix's friend in Week 1.

The Broncos must be able to have better luck in Week 2 against the Steelers. Pittsburgh's defensive front may not be quite as talented as the Seahawks was, so you figure with that factor and with them playing at home, Denver could be more efficient on the ground.

The team had just 20 total carries among their three running backs, and Jaleel McLaughlin got 10 of them, so it would be nice to see Javonte Williams get more carries than McLaughlin in Week 2. No matter how you slice it, and no matter who gains the yards, Denver must run the ball more efficiently for a Week 2 victory.

Broncos must be able to stop the run in the second half

The Seattle Seahawks clearly prioritized the ground game in the second half of the Broncos Week 1 loss, and it ended up being Denver's undoing. Shades of the team's 2023 defense were on display in the second half, as Kenneth Walker was running all over the Broncos. Obivously, much of this was due to the offense not being able to sustain drives, so it's nothing that Broncos fans aren't used to.

However, Denver will have to deal with three legitimate rushing threats with the Steelers in Justin Fields, Jaylen Warren, and Najee Harris, so they must make a noticeable effort to stop the run in the second half if that's what the Steelers end up doing.

Bo Nix must not be as reckless with the ball

Bo Nix made more than two turnover-worthy plays with his arm in Sunday's loss at Seattle. However, the Seahawks managed two interceptions off of the rookie, and if Nix again is this reckless with the football in Week 2 against the Steelers, Denver is going to be 0-2.

Nix should play noticeably better in Week 2, as it'll be the team's first home game, and Nix now has a legitimate taste of the NFL. Denver will not be playing in a hostile environment, and all of the errors Nix made in Week 1 could be greatly repaired for Week 2. Bo Nix and Sean Payton strike me as a duo what won't make many errors multiple times, so you have to figure that even on Wednesday, Bo Nix knows all what he did wrong in Week 1.

If Nix can manage the game in Week 2 and take care of the football, the points will come.