Denver, CO
Broncos Face Two Crucial Matchups in TNF Tilt at Saints
It’s a short week for the Denver Broncos as they prepare to take on the New Orleans Saints on Thursday Night Football. A lot is riding on this one, and Sean Payton’s return to New Orleans is a must-win game for the Broncos.
After the next two games, the Broncos hit the toughest stretch of their schedule, and a win in this game would put them in a good spot to weather it, including three road games in four weeks.
To help the Broncos walk out of Caesars Superdome with the win, they need to be cautious of a few matchups. And Denver has to win them.
Winning these matchups will go a long way toward getting the Broncos the win and a plus-.500 record.
Young is currently having his best year in pressure rate, generating pressure on 16.8% of his snaps, which is among the highest at the position in the NFL. Every one of his 29 pressures has come from working the edge, which is the fourth-most in the NFL.
Young plays off the left tackle, and while he moves around on that side, he has yet to take a snap against the right side of the offensive line this season. That would put him against Broncos left tackle Garett Bolles, who’s had ups and downs this season.
Now, the Saints could switch things up and flip Young to go against the Broncos’ right tackle, especially with some uncertainty about who it will be. The Broncos opened the practice window for Mike McGlinchey, and Alex Palczewski has been ruled out of Week 7. Matt Peart garnered the start last week.
The odds are that Dennis Allen and Joe Woods will stick with what they’ve done and put Young against Bolles, who has allowed one sack and 13 pressures this season, with five of those pressures coming in the season opener. Bolles has also been called for eight penalties this season.
He has also struggled with protecting the arch, where Young has had the most success. The Broncos need Bolles to handle that against Young.
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The other side of the ball also comes down to the left tackle and the edges. Bonitto is a quick and explosive pass rusher, with an average get-off of 0.78 seconds, among the fastest in the NFL.
Now, the Broncos opened the practice window for rush linebacker Baron Browning as they did with McGlinchey, but it seems unlikely they’ll be activated with the short week. The Broncos could instead take advantage of the mini-bye week after Thursday night’s game — a 10-day stretch between games.
Bonitto ranks second on the team in total pressures, but his quarterback pressure rate ranks sixth among Broncos pass rushers at 10.9%. While he has shown some flashes, his pass rush has needed more consistency and substance.
The Broncos also need him to step up against the run, which has been a problematic area for Bonitto this season. Jonathon Cooper has done well, but he has been missing a partner off the edge, and if Bonitto can step up, it will help him. It would also help Zach Allen, one of the NFL’s best interior defensive linemen this season, and John Franklin-Myers.
Whatever way you slice it, Bonitto needs to step up, especially with Browning on the verge of returning and taking the starting job back. Bonitto has had four games to step up but has struggled to do so, which doesn’t bode well for his long-term outlook.
Saints offensive tackle Taliese Fuaga has faced some tough matchups over the past four weeks, but he’s a rookie. He’s had a solid season, but he is tied for the seventh-most pressures allowed and the ninth-worst pass-blocking efficiency, per Pro Football Focus.
This is a good opportunity for Bonitto to make a case to remain the starter even when Browning is activated off injured reserve. If Bonitto can win, it will help take pressure off a Broncos defense that will be without Patrick Surtain II.
And if Bolles can step up and handle Young, the Broncos offense might be able to get into a rhythm.
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DENVER (KDVR) – Denver and the Plains will see extra clouds Thursday with isolated storm out east and warm highs along the Front Range.
Weather today: Partly cloudy and warm
Clouds kept temperatures mild this morning and pockets of sunshine through the afternoon help us warm to the middle 80s.
We will be very close to tying a daily record high, but a light northerly breeze should stop us from hitting 87. The Eastern Plains can also see some isolated storms in the afternoon. There are also some Red Flag Warnings in the state, winds will be at 10-20 mph with gusts to 40 mph, avoid any burning or open flames in these areas.
Weather tonight: Lingering clouds
Partly cloudy skies through the day will stick with us tonight. Overnight lows will dip into the low 50s with a lighter wind.
Looking ahead: Cooler weekend with shower chances
Friday rounds out the workweek with partly to mainly sunny skies and comfy highs in the lower 80s. Saturday looks comfy as well with partly cloudy skies, highs in the upper 70s and afternoon storm chances. Sundayis still mild as highs hit the middle 70s, but clouds increase through the day with showers and storms in the evening hours. That rain can linger overnight and into Monday.
Monday has showers through the day and maybe a few flakes in the high country. Highs on Monday will be in the lower 60s with a breeze and cloudy skies. Shower chances linger into Tuesday with below average highs in the lower 60s with cloudy skies. Wednesday has smaller storm chances and a bit more sunshine as seasonal highs make it to the lower 70s.
DENVER (KDVR) — Two Denver police vehicles were hit by separate drivers during a traffic stop last week, according to a social media post from the Denver Police Department.
On May 7, officers responded to a crash on northbound Interstate 25 near the exit for Alameda Avenue.
The officers were parked with their emergency lights on to direct the traffic away from the scene of the crash. Despite the lights being on, two separate vehicles crashed into the officers’ vehicles.
One driver caused minor damage to a Denver police vehicle and was cited for careless driving. The second driver caused extensive damage to a police vehicle and was cited for careless driving, as well as arrested for allegedly driving under the influence during the crash.
Officers were in their vehicles during the incident, with one uninjured and the other taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
“Traffic safety is a shared responsibility! If you come upon flashing lights, emergency vehicles, tow trucks, or disabled vehicles while driving, move over at least one lane or slow down if it’s not safe to move over. And don’t drive under the influence,” said the department in the post.
Denver’s outdoor warning sirens will sound for three minutes on Wednesday morning as officials test the city’s emergency systems.
All 86 outdoor sirens are scheduled to go off at 11 a.m., and at the same time the wireless emergency alert system will send a test text message to all mobile phones in Denver.
People in neighboring counties may also receive the emergency alert message, the Denver Office of Emergency Management said in a statement.
“Speed and clarity are critical in an emergency,” Executive Director Matthew Mueller said in a statement. “This test helps ensure Denver can deliver alerts across multiple platforms, so people know what to do right away.”
Denver officials have mistakenly sent emergency alerts about isolated police activity to the entire city twice in recent months — once in January when a person was barricaded near the University of Denver and once in April when two armed robbery suspects ran into a nearby home in Ruby Hill.
Denver emergency response officials may start using the outdoor sirens more often, including for destructive thunderstorms or flash flooding, instead of just for tornado warnings, city leaders said in a news release.
While Denverites don’t need to take any action during the test on Wednesday, the sirens are usually a sign to seek shelter indoors immediately and check for updates from the city and local news outlets, according to Denver officials.
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