Denver, CO
Broncos vs. Steelers: Live updates and highlights from the NFL Week 2 game
Russell Wilson is coming back to the Mile High City. But more than likely, he’ll be on the sidelines with a calf injury. Stick here for live updates and analysis as Denver hosts the Steelers at Empower Field at Mile High.
Live updates
Pre-game updates
Scouting report (11 a.m.): Check out how the Broncos match up with the Steelers in Ryan McFadden’s scouting report.
Game predictions
Parker Gabriel, beat writer: Steelers 20, Broncos 17
Russ or no Russ, life doesn’t get easier for Denver rookie QB Bo Nix against Pittsburgh’s defense. T.J. Watt rightfully gets top billing, but Alex Highsmith (14.5 sacks in 2022, seven last year) is no slouch on the other side. Mike Macdonald and the Seahawks played it pretty straight last week. Mike Tomlin? Here’s betting he’s got some wrinkles up his sleeve for Nix and company.
Ryan McFadden, beat writer: Steelers 17, Broncos 13
This game might get ugly. Denver’s offensive line is already banged up so there’s a chance quarterback Bo Nix will be running for his life against T.J. Watt on Sunday. At the same time, Pittsburgh’s offense is questionable. Denver’s home opener will be a low-scoring contest, dictated by special teams and the run game. Pittsburgh will have the edge against the Broncos.
Troy Renck, columnist: Broncos 17, Steelers 16
No Russell Mania, so this feels like an undercard bout. But there is urgency for the Broncos to win because if they don’t, they are staring at an 0-4 start with back-to-back roadies looming. Bo Nix will be challenged by the Steelers pass rush but will be helped by an improved run game. However, the Broncos will escape because of three takeaways, including a Jonathon Cooper strip sack of Justin Fields for the second straight season.
Sean Keeler, columnist: Steelers 22, Broncos 13
Russ, schmuss. Just when Bo Nix needs most to turn to his run game and keep a nasty Steelers pass rush honest, Audric Estime goes on injured reserve and starting left tackle Garett Bolles and center Luke Wattenberg are walking wounded. The Steelers put four tight ends on the field at one point in Atlanta to run the single wing with QB Justin Fields. Mike Tomlin’s going to be fine with pounding the ball and daring Nix to do the un-Bo-lievable. No. 10’s not there yet.
Broncos-Steelers NFL Week 2: Must-reads
Broncos analysis: Is Denver at risk of relying too heavily on rookie QB Bo Nix to solve long list of Russell Wilson-era offensive ills?
In November 2023, the Broncos had won five straight and just polished off a bully-ball win against Cleveland to get above .500 for the first time all season.
At 6-5, they had legitimate playoff aspirations. Quarterback Russell Wilson had 17 touchdowns and no picks in the red zone.
The 17-0 TD-INT ratio didn’t capture the sacks and penalties that beset the Broncos offense. It didn’t mask, in Payton’s eyes, that Denver was among the league’s worst offenses on goal-to-go situations. It certainly did not convince Payton that Wilson was the guy to get Denver where it wanted to go long-term, Parker Gabriel reports. Read the full story.
Broncos Journal: Denver’s pass rush shows signs of improvement. But can defense be dominant for full game?
The Broncos’ front seven wanted to be a physical and attacking front this fall. They didn’t waste any time in doing so against the Seahawks in the season opener.
While Denver wasn’t pleased with the outcome of its 26-20 loss in Seattle, there were positives to take away from the experience, starting with the Broncos’ ability to apply pressure on Smith in the first half.
After the Broncos finished 29th in pressure rate (18.2%) in 2023, the pass rush showed signs of life. The next step is making the quarterback’s life miserable for an entire game, Ryan McFadden reports. Read the full story.
Renck: Starting Bo Nix was right decision. But soon enough, Broncos’ Sean Payton will have to defend it.
Bo Nix earned the right to start. And it won’t be long before coach Sean Payton is forced to defend his decision.
Hear me out. Six quarterbacks were drafted in the first round last spring. Nix was the last.
Three started on opening weekend. You know how many will face four straight head coaches who were former defensive coordinators? The list starts and ends with Nix, Troy Renck writes. Read the full column.
Want more Broncos news? Sign up for the Broncos Insider to get all our NFL analysis.
The Rockies threw a boffo welcome-back for Ryan Feltner on Saturday night, and the right-hander was the biggest party animal of all.
Coming back from an elbow injury and making his first big-league start since April 23, the right-hander celebrated by pitching six crisp, efficient innings in Colorado’s 8-3 win over the Giants at Coors Field. Feltner allowed no runs, just four hits, struck out two, and walked none. He needed just 63 pitches, throwing 41 for strikes.
“I felt great and felt like all of my pitches were working,” said Feltner, who became the first Rockies starter to pitch six scoreless innings with no walks since lefty Kyle Freeland on Sept. 5 of last season vs. San Diego.
“I was really happy about the efficiency part of the game,” Feltner added. “It’s always important to go deep into a game here (at Coors).”
Manager Warren Schaeffer said there was never any thought about pushing Feltner past six innings after Feltner made just two minor league rehab starts.
“There was no reason to push him into the seventh; he did his job,” Schaeffer said. “His fastball command was exceptional, his slider was good and he got double-play balls early when he needed to. I just thought he controlled his game very well.
“He controlled his emotions, he was in attack mode, and like we talked about before the game, when he does that, he’s pretty dang good.”
The Rockies, who beat San Francisco 8-6 on Friday night on a walk-off homer by Ezequiel Tovar, clinched their first series win since sweeping the Mets from April 24-29 in New York.
Feltner got plenty of support.
The Rockies have had a nasty habit this season of scoring early only to see the offense go into hibernation. That wasn’t the case on Saturday. The Rockies kept piling on and taking away any chance for late-game drama in LoDo.
“When a guy goes out there and grinds away, like Feltner did, you want to reward them with run,” said center fielder Jake McCarthy, who had a big night from the leadoff spot, going 3 for 4 with a walk and driving in four runs.
McCarthy’s 427-foot two-run homer in the fourth off Giants right-hander Adrian Houser gave Colorado a 4-0 lead. McCarthy added an RBI single in the fifth and another in Colorado’s three-run seventh. He also recorded his club-leading 10th stolen base and reached base four times for the eighth time in his career.
“I haven’t been patient the last week, I had a lot of pretty bad at-bats” he said. “But I think it’s just about getting good pitches to hit. … Getting into good counts, seeing pitches and taking pitcher’s pitches you can make it easier on yourself. I think I did a good job of that tonight.”
Also in the seventh, Kyle Karros came off the bench to whistle a leadoff homer to right off Ryan Borucki. It was Karros’ third homer of the season, fourth of his young career, and the first pinch-hit home run of his career. It was also his first home run against a team other than the Dodgers — his father, Eric’s, former team.
“That was becoming a thing, so it’s nice to put that narrative to rest,” Karros joked. “I think I saw somewhere where it said, ‘Are the Dodgers just feeling Karros meatballs?’ That’s certainly not the case.”
The Rockies provided an early comfort zone for Feltner by scoring two runs in the first inning. McCarthy and Hunter Goodman drew walks off Houser, Willi Castro delivered an RBI single, and Sterling Thompson took one for the team, getting plunked by Houser with the bases loaded.
Castro hit 2 for 5, recording a multi-hit game for the fifth time in his last six starts.
San Francisco spoiled a rare Rockies shutout with a two-run homer in the eighth by Drew Gilbert off reliever Blas Castano.
The Rockies (22-37) will play for their third series sweep of the season on Sunday afternoon at Coors. Should the Rockies win, they will move out of the National League West cellar and the Giants (22-36) would fall into last place.
Pitching probables
Sunday: Giants LHP Robbie Ray (3-6, 4.60 ERA) at Rockies RHP Tanner Gordon (0-0, 5.85), 1:10 p.m.
Monday: Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (1-6, 8.08) at Angels RHP Jose Soriano (6-4, 2.65), 7:38 p.m.
Tuesday: Rockies RHP Tomoyuki Sugano (4-4, 4.01) at Angels RHP Grayson Rodriguez (2-1, 7.53), 7:38 p.m.
Wednesday: Rockies RHP Michael Lorenzen (2-7, 7.22) at Angels RHP Walbert Urena (2-4, 2.44), 7:38 p.m.
TV: Rockies.TV
Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM
Want more Rockies news? Sign up for the Rockies Insider to get all our MLB analysis.
Want more Rockies news? Sign up for the Rockies Insider to get all our MLB analysis.
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