Pick Six: Who is up and who is down after the Broncos win in Week 2
Sep 21, 2021, 6:40 AM | Updated: 6:43 am
Two weeks into the season, the Broncos are 2-0. Yes, it’s because of victories over the Giants and Jaguars, two teams that are a combined 0-4. But Denver can only face the opponents on their schedule. They’ve taken care of business, posting a pair of double-digit wins.
The latest came on Sunday, when the Broncos beat the Jaguars by a 23-13 count. In the game, there were plenty of positives. But there were also a few negatives.
Who fell into each category? Here’s this week’s “Pick Six:”
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Teddy Bridgewater – Up
The Broncos new quarterback was stellar again on Sunday. All told, Bridgewater finished the game 26-of-34 for 328 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He had a passer rating of 125.6. Denver hasn’t seen QB play like this since a certain No. 18 was behind center.
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Bradley Chubb – Down
The Broncos linebacker missed Week 1 because of an ankle injury. He didn’t practice much heading into the Jacksonville game. But he was on the field when things kicked off. In hindsight, that was a mistake, as Chubb re-injured his ankle, putting his timeline back to full strength up in the air.
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Pat Surtain – Up
With Ronald Darby out for a few weeks with a hamstring injury, the Broncos depth at cornerback is going to get tested. Primarily, this falls on their first-round pick, as Surtain moved into the starting lineup in just his second week in the NFL. The rookie responded with a solid game, including his first career interception.
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Courtland Sutton – Up
The wide receiver might not be fully healthy yet, as he’s still recovering from an ACL injury suffered a year ago, but he can still be productive. How productive? On Sunday, Sutton posted career highs in receptions (nine) and receiving yards (159), providing the Broncos with big plays on offense.
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Justin Strnad – Up
The linebacker was brought in a year ago to provide pass coverage skills in the middle of Denver’s defense. Now, Strnad will have to do more. Josey Jewell suffered a season-ending pectoral injury on Sunday, which will thrust the second-year linebacker into the starting lineup in just his third career game.
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Kyle Fuller – Down
The veteran cornerback was brought in on a one-year deal to bolster the Broncos secondary. So far, he’s been the weak link in an otherwise stellar group. The Jaguars didn’t do much offensively on Sunday, but when they did have success, it seemed to come in front of No. 23. Fuller surrendered Jacksonville’s opening-drive TD.
