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.
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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.
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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.
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Oct 13, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II (2) leaves the field in the first quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers at Empower Field at Mile High. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
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.
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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.
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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.
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New York Knicks (9-7, fourth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Denver Nuggets (9-6, fifth in the Western Conference)
Denver; Monday, 9 p.m. EST
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BOTTOM LINE: Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets host the New York Knicks in a non-conference matchup.
The Nuggets have gone 5-3 at home. Denver ranks sixth in the Western Conference with 12.0 offensive rebounds per game led by Jokic averaging 4.4.
The Knicks are 4-5 in road games. New York ranks seventh in the Eastern Conference allowing only 112.4 points while holding opponents to 47.3% shooting.
The Nuggets are shooting 47.8% from the field this season, 0.5 percentage points higher than the 47.3% the Knicks allow to opponents. The Knicks average 14.3 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.2 more made shots on average than the 13.1 per game the Nuggets allow.
TOP PERFORMERS: Michael Porter Jr. is averaging 18.6 points and 7.1 rebounds for the Nuggets.
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Jalen Brunson is averaging 25.1 points and 7.4 assists for the Knicks.
LAST 10 GAMES: Nuggets: 7-3, averaging 118.4 points, 45.5 rebounds, 31.6 assists, 8.7 steals and 4.8 blocks per game while shooting 49.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 112.7 points per game.
Knicks: 6-4, averaging 120.3 points, 42.9 rebounds, 29.9 assists, 6.7 steals and 4.1 blocks per game while shooting 50.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 114.5 points.
INJURIES: Nuggets: Aaron Gordon: out (calf), DaRon Holmes II: out for season (achilles), Vlatko Cancar: out (knee).
Knicks: Precious Achiuwa: out (hamstring), Miles McBride: day to day (knee), Mitchell Robinson: out (ankle).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Could the Brooklyn Nets’ No. 1 scoring option team up with a two-time league MVP?
According to Paul Pierce, it’s possible.
On a recent episode of “Ticket & The Truth,” the former Boston Celtics star suggested a move from Brooklyn to the Denver Nuggets for Cam Thomas to provide the 2023 NBA Champions with a depth boost.
“Alright, let me put my GM hat on,” Pierce said. “I think right now, for Cam, I’d like to see him off the bench for Denver. …Because they need that spark plug off the bench.”
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He may want to take that hat off.
The Nuggets do not have an asset they’d be willing to part ways with that would entice the Nets enough to move off of a 23-year-old who’s turning in over 24 points per game. And even if Denver were to offer a king’s ransom of draft capital, as long as Nikola Jokic is healthy a Nuggets’ choice will never hold much value.
Oct 29, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets small guard Cam Thomas (24) shoots the ball against the Denver Nuggets during the second half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
When reports suggested Thomas could be available in negotiations, they didn’t mean Brooklyn was looking to give him away. The return would have to warrant the transaction, and a hypothetical package consisting of Christian Braun and two first-round picks (no offense Christian) won’t be enough to entice Sean Marks.
The Nets shouldn’t look to move Thomas until a can’t-say-no deal emerges. Until then, let him continue to drop nearly 25 a night on the opposition and revisit any potential thoughts of trading the electrifying scorer at February’s deadline.
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Mike Johnston, the Democrat mayor of Denver, has stated that he will urge citizens to oppose the mass deportations of migrants that President-elect Donald Trump has planned in Colorado. This comes as local authorities in “sanctuary cities” have started organising how to handle the issue.
Mike Johnston, mayor of Denver, Colorado, stated that he is prepared to serve time in prison in order to halt any attempts at deportation.(Bloomberg)
Speaking to Denver’s station 9, Johnston, 50, stated that he is prepared to serve time in prison in order to halt any attempts at deportation.
Calling it a “Tiananmen Square moment,” the mayor of Denver has pledged to use local police and 50,000 citizens “stationed at the county line” to protect migrants residing in his sanctuary city from Trump’s mass deportation.
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“More than us having [federal agents] stationed at the county line to keep them out, you would have 50,000 Denverites there,” he stated.
“It’s like the Tiananmen Square moment … right?” Johnston asked, making a reference to the well-known conflict between a Chinese student and a government tank at Tiananmen Square, China, during the 1989 uprising.
“You’d have every one of those Highland moms who came out for the migrants,” he continued, adding that “And you do not want to mess with them,” recalling the time when Denver people were reportedly ready to fight the federal government to the death.
Mike Johnston faces flak for his warning
Danielle Jurinsky (R), a councilwoman for Aurora City, told The Post that Johnston’s strategy will simply highlight his ineffectiveness in one of the nation’s so-called sanctuary cities, which deter or prohibit local officials from assisting federal immigration investigators in migrant cases.
“Aurora does not plan to provide the Trump administration any assistance, as far as I know, but we will certainly not stand in the way of what the American people voted for,” he stated.
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Also Read: Trump border Czar Tom Homan issues fresh warning to President-elect’s critics, illegal migrants: ‘You got a problem’
After Johnston compared his endeavor to Tiananmen Square, Xi Van Fleet, a Chinese survivor of Mao’s revolution, lambasted him on Thursday, telling Fox Business that he is “either profoundly ignorant of the history, or he did the false analogy on purpose.”
Elon Musk, who Trump just appointed to lead the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), also reacted to Johnston’s warning, saying that it demonstrates “the mayor of Denver hates his constituents.”
Trump’s border czar speaks out
Tom Homan, Trump’s choice for “border czar,” told The Post that he hopes the incoming government will sue sanctuary communities and stop providing them with federal funds.
He claimed that if they don’t alter their stand, the Trump government will “flood” certain communities with Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel to stay outside local prison for the release of illegal migrants.
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Johnston declared that he would not permit local law enforcement to help the federal government apprehend undocumented migrants.
“Absolutely not,” Johnston remarked. “We won’t do it.”
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