The Broncos game plan for beating the Cowboys in Week 9
Nov 7, 2021, 7:30 AM
The Denver Broncos got back on the winning track last week against the Washington Football Team. This week is going to be much more difficult as they travel to play the Dallas Cowboys in Week 9.
The Broncos are going to have things stacked against them on Sunday. The Cowboys have great players on both sides of the ball. Their offense is one of the best in the league, and their defense is one of the most playmaking defenses in the league.
How will the Broncos attack the Cowboys on both sides of the ball? Let’s take a look.
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When the Broncos Run the Ball
I’m going to complain about the usage of the running backs every week until it changes. Melvin Gordon and Javonte Williams are both running the ball with success. Both are good receivers out of the backfield. Both are not getting used enough.
This comes down to offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur not understanding the strengths of his team – or the weaknesses of the Broncos opponents. Shurmur will abandon the running game in the blink of an eye, then he will turn around and blame not having enough opportunities to do so.
The problem isn’t the backfield, although they both had fumbles on the final drive against Washington last week, but the problem is coaching. Furthermore, the problem is the philosophy of Shurmur. He wants to go shotgun formation, 3-WR sets and push the ball down the field when it would be better to go 2-TE sets, run the ball and set up play-action passing. Sigh.
For the lead. 😎@Melvingordon25 | 📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/7Eq2SjMHZP
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) October 31, 2021
To keep the high-powered Cowboys offense cold on the sideline, it makes sense to run the ball more. Leave it to Shurmur to ignore the best way to win in this almost impossible matchup. I would guess that next week I will still be complaining about Shurmur’s usage of Gordon and Williams.
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When the Broncos Pass the Ball
The success of the Broncos passing game will come down to one player – and he doesn’t play for the Broncos. Second-year cornerback Trevon Diggs is one of the best cornerbacks in the game today. He snares interceptions left and right, leading the NFL with seven interceptions so far, and Diggs can shut down the best receivers on any team. Last week against the Minnesota Vikings, Diggs shut down superstar receiver Justin Jefferson, holding him to just two catches for 21 yards.
So, who is Diggs going to cover? He could cover his former college teammate Jerry Jeudy, and that would be a great matchup to watch. Diggs knows Jeudy’s tricks, but Jeudy also knows what Diggs likes to do and how to beat him from their time going up against each other in practice at Alabama. No matter who knows what about the other, this would be an epic 1-on-1 matchup to watch during an otherwise boring game.
If Diggs goes up against Sutton, he has the speed and athleticism to stay in his back pocket. Sutton can win with size, but Diggs is a frustrating corner who plays through the receiver’s hands. Even if a pass is out of his reach, when a receiver brings his hands back to his body with the ball, Diggs is there to strip it away.
Teddy Bridgewater had better be careful when going after the young corner. Not only does he have great hands, but Diggs will also bait quarterbacks to think a receiver is open when he is not. It’s not like Bridgewater’s stat line has been clean, and nobody should be surprised if/when Bridgewater throws an interception to Diggs.
#CowboysNation, @TrevonDiggs' overall @EAMaddenNFL rating has increased ➕9️⃣…is that enough? 👀
Check-in to see all of the #DallasCowboys players' #Madden22 ratings ➡️https://t.co/e9XSJZasQD pic.twitter.com/lvwMOw57Cj
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) November 4, 2021
Depending on where Diggs lines up should dictate where Bridgewater goes with the ball. If Sutton and Jeudy are off-and-on covered by Diggs, as they should be, then going after Tim Patrick or tight end Albert Okwuegbunam would make sense.
The Cowboys pass defense isn’t stout, but they are opportunistic. You can move the ball on them, but caution is needed when going up against a team that can rush and cover – forcing a quarterback into bad decisions.
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When the Cowboys Run the Ball
The Broncos rush defense is not playing good football. They will be hard pressed to turn that around against the Cowboys on Sunday because they feature not one but two star running backs. Ezekiel Elliott isn’t just a star, he’s a superstar when healthy. His backup, Tony Pollard could be a starter for at least half the league and has star potential.
Elliott is a bruising back who can win with power and speed. He’s a no-nonsense runner who wastes little motion as a runner. The Broncos rush defense had better eat their Wheaties on Sunday morning because Elliott is tough to bring down. He can build power whether he’s running between the tackles or getting the ball as a receiver out of the backfield.
Pollard’s game is about speed, speed and more speed. It takes a small crease for Pollard to turn it into a big play. He’s a rhythm runner with great foot frequency. This means Pollard can take many steps per yard and not lose speed or quickness while staying light on his feet. It’s problematic to get a bead on Pollard as a tackler, and this ability – in addition to his speed – helps with the big-play ability.
One of the biggest plays in the game Sunday night. Ezekiel Elliott breaking multiple tackles on third-and-11 with 1:04 left pic.twitter.com/yYAzOaGfog
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) November 2, 2021
Elliott can soften them up on the ground and Pollard can gash them in space. This combination is going to be tough for the Broncos defense to stop. The Cowboys offense averages around 30 points per game, and the way they lean on their running backs (hey Shurmur, take a hint) really is the engine to their offense.
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When the Cowboys Pass the Ball
It can be described as ‘pick your poison’ when going up against the Cowboys passing attack. Even though he missed Week 8 with a calf injury, superstar quarterback Dak Prescott is not on the injury report for Week 9 against the Broncos. Prescott should start against the Broncos, and he’s got a plethora of weapons to involve in the passing game.
The best option he has is Amari Cooper. Even though he’s not 100 percent healthy, Cooper ends up making big plays on a weekly basis for the Cowboys. Cooper is a fine route-runner, he has speed to get by defenders quickly and he may have the best hands in the league.
Opposite of Cooper is rising star CeeDee Lamb. He injured his ankle in practice on Wednesday, and Lamb is listed as questionable on the injury report. Like Cooper, Lamb is fast and has great hands. Even though he’s banged up, Lamb will be a handful because of his talent.
The Cowboys now have a breakout player in tight end Dalton Schultz. So long as Prescott is at quarterback, Schultz will make plays. He only caught two passes against the Vikings with Cooper Rush in at quarterback. Before that, Schultz had at least 70 yards or a touchdown in four straight going into Week 8. The Broncos historically struggle against the tight end position, and that’s with their starters playing. With the problems they’ve had at inside linebacker, expect Schultz to get his against the Broncos on Sunday.
54 targets. ZERO drops.@AmariCooper9 is making his case for best hands in the league. 🙌 (via @PFF)
📺: #DENvsDAL — Sunday 1pm ET on FOX
📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/gmUAO9pOIU— NFL (@NFL) November 5, 2021
The Broncos have the most expensive secondary in the league and they’re not playing up to their price tag. Prescott should be able to feast on the Broncos. Von Miller has been traded away, Malik Reed is banged up and the secondary is full of inexperienced players. When you can’t rush and can’t cover, this is bad news for the Broncos.
