The 2-0 Miami Dolphins are hosting the 0-2 Denver Broncos at Hard Rock Stadium for Miami’s home opener of the 2023 season.
Miami’s offense has looked impressive in both games, scoring 60 points between the two contests. Tua Tagovailoa has shown command of the offense, as he’s been able to spread the ball around to nine different pass-catchers.
Buy Dolphins TicketsSean Payton’s team, on the other sideline, lost a close AFC West matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 1 and came up a two-point conversion short in Week 2 against the Washington Commanders. There have been flashes of improvement from last season but not with enough consistency over the first two weeks.
As we continue our previews for this weekend’s game, we spoke to Broncos Wire managing editor Jon Heath to learn some things about Denver.
We're two games into Sean Payton's tenure, and the Broncos are 0-2. How are things different than they were with Nathaniel Hackett at the helm?
The offense is competent, which is nice! Denver actually leads the NFL in points per possession this season. Overall, they’ve averaged 24.5 points per game, a huge improvement from when they ranked last in the NFL with 16.9 PPG in 2022. Granted, it’s a small sample size, but the eye test backs up the numbers. Denver’s offense was held back by Nathaniel Hackett last season and Payton’s got them back on track. The most unfortunate difference is that Ejiro Evero is no longer the defensive coordinator. Evero did not want to stay with the Broncos after his friend Hackett was fired, and after unsuccessfully recruiting Vic Fangio and interviewing Rex Ryan, Payton ultimately hired Vance Joseph as DC. The defense seems to have taken a big step backward under Joseph.
Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy were both healthy and on the field last week. Do you believe they still have a chance to be an elite WR duo in the NFL?
It’s beginning to seem less and less likely every season. They’re both talented receivers and, individually, they’ve had some great performances, but Sutton and Jeudy have never formed the dynamic duo Denver hoped they could. With Payton installing a run-heavy offense and following the emergence of rookie Marvin Mims as a deep threat, Sutton and Jeudy might never reach their fullest potential with the Broncos. Sutton has a contract option next offseason and Jeudy is set to become a free agent after the 2024 season. Sutton and Jeudy seem more likely to find success outside of Denver than to form an elite duo with the Broncos. If they haven’t by now, it’s hard to say they ever will.
We saw a glimpse of Seattle Russell Wilson last week. What does he need to improve on to regain that level of play, and is it possible?
Wilson might never return to being an elite quarterback, but he already looks much better than last season. Payton has done a great job bringing out Wilson’s strengths by giving him opportunities to make throws on the run with play-action and bootlegs. The biggest thing Wilson needs to do is protect the ball — he had a sloppy fumble last week and threw an interception. Otherwise, he had an excellent game, showing off his “moon ball” deep pass and his mobility on the ground. With plenty of weapons around him, Wilson seems poised to have a bounce-back year under Payton.
Who is one under-the-radar player who could really impact this contest for Denver?
Riley Moss had core muscle surgery this offseason and he was inactive for the team’s first two games. If he’s cleared to play this week, Moss could prove to be a very important part of the secondary against a dynamic Dolphins wide receiver room in Week 3. Damarri Mathis has been an absolute liability through two games and the thought of him matching up against Tyreek Hill or Jaylen Waddle is absolutely terrifying. So while the third-round pick hasn’t even made his NFL debut yet, Moss could prove to be an important under-the-radar player for the Broncos this week if he ends up benching Mathis.
If you could, which former Bronco not named John Elway or Peyton Manning would you drop on this team for a game to beat the Dolphins this weekend?
That’s tough! Champ Bailey across from Pat Surtain would be fantastic, especially against Miami’s talented receivers. Von Miller would be a great addition, too, considering that Denver’s pass rush has been underwhelming through two games. Miller pressuring Tua Tagovailoa could help Mathis in coverage, so generating pressure might be more important than adding another elite cornerback to the secondary. Even the best CBs don’t hold up in coverage if the QB has all day to throw. So give me a healthy Von Miller to help out Denver’s defense.
