Week 7’s Thursday Night Football tilt is bound to be an emotional one as the Sean Payton-led Denver Broncos return to the city he and Drew Brees rebuilt, facing the New Orleans Saints. With a short week ahead, the Broncos are under pressure to resolve their offensive struggles.

At 3-3, the Broncos are at a crossroads. A win, and Denver enters its mini-bye above .500. A loss, and the Broncos descend back into the sub-.500 club of the aimless.

Despite the time constraints, the team is resolute in their determination to figure out these issues. Let’s examine two blueprints to the Broncos emerging from Caesars Superdome victorious.

There is no denying that Nix’s performance is of utmost importance this year, especially in the first three quarters, with the expectations of his game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That was his most complete game, and the Broncos consistently need that from him and the offense.

Denver struggled to get anything going until the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers, after the opponent lost its top corner and changed its defensive strategy. Nix led the Broncos to a near comeback, but time was too short, and they lacked the needed explosiveness to be an instant threat to score.

These issues have held the Broncos back, along with multiple others, such as the running game and the offensive line, which were also problematic against the Chargers. This is a short week, and there isn’t much time to figure things out. 

The Broncos are in dire need of emphasizing faster starts, though. Dire. The Broncos have consistently struggled to start games well in almost every game this season, with one exception.

Winning games in the NFL is challenging, and coming from behind to win is even harder, especially when your offense lacks the necessary playmakers. Whether it’s a play-calling issue that Payton needs to address or an execution issue that requires simplification, the Broncos must ensure the basics are in place before getting into the more complex plays. 

Regardless of the circumstances, the Broncos are unwavering in their commitment to kickstart their offense earlier in the game. They understand that struggling for three quarters and then expecting to win is not a sustainable strategy for the season.

While it may have worked for Tim Tebow’s Broncos, they had a No. 1-ranked running game to fall back on, which the current squad lacks. Payton and the Broncos’ steadfast determination to find solutions is reassuring. 

What happens next on the Broncos beat? Don’t miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second, sign up for our free newsletter, and get breaking Broncos news delivered to your inbox daily!

Losing Patrick Surtain II to a concussion is a considerable loss. Not only do you lose that caliber of player, but the type of defense Vance Joseph has been calling has to change completely.

The Broncos can’t be that aggressive using man-coverage without Surtain in the secondary. This puts a lot of pressure on Riley Moss, Ja’Quan McMillian, and the rest of the secondary. However, this trio will be out to prove it can still play at a high level without Surtain on the field, showcasing its resilience in the face of adversity. 

It was a rough go against the Chargers, but the Broncos defense had flashes of getting things figured out. Helping them against the Saints is how beaten up they are offensively.

The task is made a little easier, and while you want to beat teams at their best, you can only play the teams that take the field. Only five of the 11 original starters for the Saints are ‘healthy,’ with most of them unlikely to play in this game. That includes starting quarterback Derek Carr and wide receiver Chris Olave. 

The Saints are also beat up on the offensive line, which could help them get after the quarterback. They have done well all season at that, but with changes coming in the secondary and Surtain likely out, they need to be even quicker here. 

Rattling rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler, who is expected to make his second career start, will help out the secondary so much while they figure things out without Surtain. If the unlikely happens and Surtain plays, it would be exceptional news for the Broncos’ defense, as he is the straw that stirs the drink.

Hopefully, the Broncos can figure these out in a short week. It’s hard to emphasize one or two things outside of ensuring you have the basics down and putting the game plan together, but the Broncos need to get this done if they want to walk out with a win.

At 3-3, and with how Denver’s schedule is put together, the team needs to go 2-0 so it can have a 5-3 record going into the most challenging part of the schedule. In Weeks 9 through 12, the Broncos have three road games against the Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs, and Las Vegas Raiders, while the Atlanta Falcons come into Denver.

Sitting at 5-3 going into that stretch would put the Broncos in a good spot, while 4-4 would make a playoff push difficult and unlikely. 

Follow Mile High Huddle on X and Facebook and subscribe on YouTube for daily Broncos live-stream podcasts!