The Broncos defense was too much for the Cowboys this past weekend.
Ezekiel Elliott and Dak Prescott have been phenomenal so far in their young careers, operating behind the best offensive line in the league. Many predicted them to continue their run of success when they visited Denver this past weekend, citing questions about the Broncos’ ability the stop the run and to answer back with points of their own.
The Broncos additions to the defensive line got it done against the Cowboys, as Zeke was completely stonewalled by the Broncos. He picked up the first of his eight rushing yards midway through the third quarter, and ended up with more rushing attempts (nine), than yards. Not bad defense for the team that was ranked 28th in run stoppage last year, allowing 4.3 yards per carry. For those not mathematically inclined, the Broncos gave up less than one yard per carry against the Cowboys, a feat that no other team has accomplished since Zeke entered the league.
Dak Prescott fared no better, as he was forced into passing the ball a career-high 50 times against the real strength of the Broncos defense, which features two All-Pro corners in Aqib Talib and Chris Harris, as well as Bradley Roby, a corner who would be starting on any other team in the league as a legitimate number two option. Dak ended the day with two interceptions, and he was lucky it was only two as Aqib Talib had his hands on a few more that got batted away from him by Dez Bryant. The Cowboys highly touted offensive line gave up two sacks to Von Miller and another nine pressures to breakout player Shaquil Barrett. Nothing went right for the Cowboys offensively, and the Broncos defense proved it could hold its own against the best running team in the NFL.
Trevor Siemian and CJ Anderson Come Out Swinging
Continuing their run of success from week one, Trevor Siemian and CJ Anderson took care of business against a Cowboys defense that was not allowed much rest. Siemian threw for another four touchdowns this week, becoming the league leader in passing touchdowns. His 68% completion percentage was impressive, and he was decisive in abusing the Cowboys’ weakened secondary. He did miss a couple of passing opportunities when he was on the run, but his ability to extend plays and get yards with his legs was nevertheless impressive.
CJ Anderson was awesome in this game for the Broncos, as he passed 100 yards rushing for the sixth time in his career. Particularly impressive was his ability to stay upright after contact, averaging over three yards per carry after contact. He also made defenders miss, forcing six missed tackles on his way to 118 yards and a touchdown on the ground while averaging 4.8 yards per carry, on top of the touchdown he took to the house through the air. This is the type of play CJ will need to keep up if the Broncos hope to keep their offense balanced.
One concern coming out of this game was the injury to rookie tackle Garett Bolles, and that will be something that slows down this Broncos line. Fortunately, Bolles’ injury appears to be relatively minor, and he will be week-to-week for now.
A Blueprint For Success
The Broncos played this game exactly how the want to play every game this year. They shut down the opponent’s run game, forcing them to attack the vaunted Denver secondary, allowing Miller and Barrett ample time to pressure and rattle the quarterback. Offensively, the Broncos passed the ball effectively, allowing the run game to flourish as the Broncos ate clock . And perhaps most importantly, the Broncos offense converted on third down 56.7% of the time, letting their defense rest it didn’t get last year.
