Broncos Dominate Giants in Week 1 Season Opening Win

 The Broncos got off to a solid start to the 2021 season with a 27-13 road win over the Giants in Metlife Stadium on Sunday. It was the first September win for the Broncos since 2018 and it was the first win in September for Vic Fangio. The Broncos pretty much dominated the game throughout and got a great game from QB Teddy Bridgewater, and the Broncos defense snuffed out the Giants all day long. Here are my thoughts on the win....

1) Perfect start and perfect scenario for Denver in all facets. They won the game going away, Bridgewater played great, the coaching staff did a nice job, the defense played great, and outside of a fumble by Albert O and a drop by KJ Hamler, they didn't make many mistakes.

2) Give Vic Fangio credit for going for it three times on 4th down and converting all three. Those were each huge plays in the game and it was kind of surprising, but the Broncos converted all three and it almost kind of took the wind out of the sails for the Giants.

3) The end of the first half and beginning of the second half were huge. Denver scored two touchdowns on both of those possessions. The Giants were up 7-3 and just recovered a fumble deep in their own territory, but the Broncos defense forced the punt, and Bridgewater hit Tim Patrick on a short TD right before the half to make it 10-7. Denver got the ball to start the second half and went down the field and Bridgewater hit Albert O for a touchdown on a 4th and 1. The game went from 7-3 Giants to 17-7 Broncos in just two possessions

4) It was great to see Von Miller back and playing well.  Von had two sacks and was a dominating force all game long. He got pressure many times and overwhelmed Nate Solder on many snaps.

5) I love how Melvin Gordon took one 70 yards to make it 27-7 and put the game officially away in the 4th quarter. He had the same type of run last year when they beat the Jets in Metlife Stadium.

5) It was huge for the Broncos to get off to a good start. Starting 0-1 would have been a disaster. Now, they are 1-0 and have two straight winnable games at Jacksonville and home to the Jets to get to 3-0. 

Broncos-Giants and NFL Week 1 Picks

The Broncos open the 2021 campaign with a road trip to Metlife Stadium in New Jersey. The Broncos have not won a September game under Vic Fangio, so there is a pressing need to get off to a good start. The Broncos can definitely win this game, but I just can't trust them right now until they prove me wrong. I'm hoping that they will get this win on the road, but I'm ready to pick them yet.

Prediction: NY GIANTS (+3) over Denver

Final Score- Giants-23 Broncos 20

Now, onto the picks for Week 1..... 

(HOME TEAM IN CAPS)

ATLANTA (-3) over Philly: I like Atlanta more than most people do this year, and I think they get off a good start with a home win over the Eagles.

Pittsburgh (+7) over BUFFALO: For some reason, I think the Steelers will play well in this game. I think the Bills win, but I think it will be a close game.

Minnesota (-3) over CINCY: I think the Vikings will pounce on the Bengals early in this game and cruise to an easy opening win.

San Francisco (-6) over DETROIT: Two teams that look like they are on different paths this season. I like the 49ers to roll over the Lions.

TENNESSEE (-3) over Arizona: I think the Titans will take care of business at home this week and get off to a good start.

Seattle (-2) over INDY: I like the Seahawks in this spot over the Colts on the road.

WASHINGTON (+2) over LA Chargers: The WFT pulls the upset over the Chargers in Week 1. That might be the one real shocker of the day.

NY Jets (+5) over CAROLINA: The Sam Darnold Bowl in Carolina as Darnold faces his old team. I think the Jets will be feisty in this game keep it close until the end.

Jacksonville (-3) over HOUSTON: I think the Urban Meyer and Trevor Lawrence era gets off to a great start with a resounding win over the hapless Texans. 

KANSAS CITY (-6) over Cleveland: This is probably the most premier matchup of the day. The Browns head to KC to take on the Chiefs. I know a lot of people are picking the Browns, but I like the Chiefs to run away with this one.

NEW ENGLAND (-3) over Miami: The Pats unveil rookie QB Mac Jones, and he takes on his old Alabama teammate Tua Tagovailoa. I think Bill Belichick will have the Pats ready to roll and look for them to cruise to a win over the Dolphins.

Green Bay (-3) over NEW ORLEANS: This game got moved to Jacksonville because of the Hurrican Ida. I think Green Bay will take advantage of the netural site and take care of business over the Saints.

LA RAMS (-7) over Chicago: I think the Bears will keep it close on Sunday Night Football for a little while, but the Rams will pull away at the end. I wouldn't be surprised to see the Bears turn to Justin Fields early in this game.

LAS VEGAS (+4) over Baltimore: The Raiders finally get to host fans in their new Vegas stadium on Monday Night Football. I think the Raiders will pull the upset and take down the Ravens.

Bucs-Cowboys TNF Season Opener Pick

 TAMPA BAY (-7) over Dallas

2021 NFL Predictions

 AFC East

1) Buffalo Bills (11-6)

2) New England Patriots (10-7)*Wild Card

3) Miami Dolphins (7-10)

4) New York Jets (5-12)

AFC North

1) Cleveland Browns (11-6)

2) Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7) *Wild Card

3) Baltimore Ravens (8-9)

4) Cincinnati Bengals (6-11)

AFC South

1) Tennessee Titans (11-6)

2) Indianapolis Colts (8-9)

3) Jacksonville Jaguars (7-10)

4) Houston Texans (2-15)

AFC West

1) Kansas City Chiefs (14-3)

2) Los Angeles Chargers (10-7) *Wild Card

3) Las Vegas Raiders (8-9) 

4) Denver Broncos (7-10)

NFC East

1) Dallas Cowboys (12-5)

2) New York Giants (10-7)*Wild Card

3) Washington Football Team (5-12)

4) Philadelphia Eagles (4-13)

NFC North

1) Green Bay Packers (11-6)

2) Chicago Bears (9-8)

3) Minnesota Vikings (9-8)

4) Detroit Lions (3-14)

NFC South

1) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (13-4)

2) Atlanta Falcons (9-8) 

3) Carolina Panthers (9-8)

4) New Orleans Saints (5-12) 

NFC West

1) Los Angeles Rams (12-5)

2) Seattle Seahawks (11-6)*Wild Card

3) San Francisco 49ers (10-7)*Wild Card

4) Arizona Cardinals (5-12)

2021 Playoff Predictions

AFC

1) Kansas City (14-3)

2) Cleveland (11-6)

3)Tennessee (11-6)

4) Buffalo (11-6)

5) Pittsburgh (10-7)

6) New England (10-7)

7) LA Chargers (10-7)

Wild Card Weekend

2) Cleveland over 7) LA Chargers

3) Tennessee over 6) New England

5) Pittsburgh over 4) Buffalo

Divisional Round

1) Kansas City over 5) Pittburgh

2) Cleveland over 3) Tennessee

AFC Championship

1) Kansas City over 2) Cleveland

NFC Playoff Predictions

1) Tampa Bay (13-4)

2) LA Rams (12-5)

3) Dallas (12-5)

4) Green Bay (11-6)

5) Seatle (11-6)

6) San Francisco (10-7)

7) NY Giants (10-7)

Wild Card Weekend

2) LA Rams over 7) NY Giants

6) San Francisco over 3) Dallas

4) Green Bay over 5) Seattle

Divisional Round

1) Tampa Bay over 6) San Francisco

2) LA Rams over 4) Green Bay

NFC Championship 

2) LA Rams over 1) Tampa Bay

Super Bowl 

Kansas City over LA Rams

2021 Denver Broncos 53 Man Roster

 Here is the 2021 Denver Broncos 53 man roster........

QBs: Teddy Bridgewater, Drew Lock

RBs: Melvin Gordon, Javonte Williams, Royce Freeman, and Mike Boone

WRs: Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, K.J. Hamler, Tim Patrick, Diontae Spencer

TEs: Andrew Beck, Noah Fant, Alber Okweugbunam, Eric Saubert

OL: Garrett Bolles, Dalton Risner, Lloyd Cushenberry, Graham Glasgow, Bobby Massie, Calvin Anderson, Quinn Meinerz, Netane Muti

DL: Shelby Harris, Dre'Mont Jones, Mike Purcell, McTelvin Agim, DeShawn Williams, and Jonathan Harris

Edge: Von Miller, Bradley Chubb, Malik Reed, Jonathan Cooper, Andrew Mintze

CBs: Kyle Fuller, Ronald Darby, Bryce Callahan, Patrick Surtain, Michael Ojemudia, Kary Vincent

S: Kareem Jackson, Justin Simmons, Caden Sterns, P.J. Locke, Jamar Johnson

K: Brandon McManus

P: Sam Martin

LS: Jacob Bobenmoyer

Broncos Finish Preseason 3-0, Name Teddy Bridgewater Starting QB

The Broncos finished the preseason 3-0 and now turn their attention to the regular season opener on September 12th at the Giants in MetLife Stadium. The biggest decision the Broncos made in the preseason was naming Teddy Bridgewater the starting QB over Drew Lock. It was a tight competition in camp, and Lock certainly played well, but Vic Fangio and his coaching staff decided to go with Bridgewater to give them that veteran presence and stability. Make no mistake, Fangio is under pressure to win this season. After going 12-20 his first two years, and with new GM George Paton in the front office, Fangio knows if this season falls apart, he is most likely gone. He went with the safe pick in Teddy, and a guy who is a middle of the road option at QB instead of rolling it back and taking a chance on Lock. I wanted Lock to win the job, and I think he should have been named the starter, but I get why Fangio went with Teddy. I do think that Teddy is a better option at QB then when we started Joe Flacco, Case Keenum, and Trevor Siemian, but we still don't have that franchise guy that we were looking for-and hoping that Lock would be. You never know how the season will turn out, and there is a good chance that Lock will end up playing at some point for the Broncos this year due to the fact that most teams deal with some type of injury with their starter during a typical season. Maybe Lock will take advantage of that opportunity. Until then, I will support Teddy as the starter. If he plays well, the Broncos will play well, and they will be winning games-which is what we desperately want based on the last four seasons. 

Broncos 2021 Training Camp Primer

Training camp is back and the Broncos are at Dove Valley again as they begin practicing and camp for the 2021 NFL season. The Broncos have some high hopes as they begin training camp. It is year 3 of the Vic Fangio era, and they are hopeful that the continuity will pay off into a winning season and playoff berth. The Broncos have built a talented, young roster, and this is the time of the year to build this team and get ready for the regular season. Here is the training camp preview as football returns....

Where We Left Off: The Broncos were walking off the field after a home loss to the Las Vegas Raiders on a late two-point conversion. Denver finished 2020 with a 5-11 record. It was the fourth straight losing season for the Broncos, and it concluded a season that was strange due to Covid and also unkind to the Broncos in many ways including the injury front.

What Happened Since? John Elway stepped aside as GM to become President of Football Operations and the team hired new GM George Paton. They also made a splash in free agency by signing Kyle Fuller and Ronald Darby to bolster their secondary, and they also made a trade for QB Teddy Bridgewater. They also re-signed Shelby Harris to a long-term deal, and re-upped Justin Simmons for a long-term deal as well. The team drafted Patrick Surtain in the first round of the NFL Draft in April. 

Position Battles at Camp: The number one position battle to watch in camp will be at QB. It is Drew Lock vs. Teddy Bridgewater. Lock is coming off a turnover-filled year last year, and the Broncos got a good deal in the trade for Bridgewater to add some competition. I think it will be better for team for Lock to start the year, but if they feel like they can't trust him, then Bridgewater will get the nod. Either way, this team needs improved play at the QB position to be able to compete for a playoff berth this year.

Surprise Cuts: I could see a guy like LB Josey Jewell end up getting cut. The Broncos have added depth at that position and I could see a starter like him getting a pink slip. 

Out of Nowhere Players: A name to keep an eye on is Jonathon Cooper, a rookie 7th round pick from Ohio State. The outside linebacker has impressed in camp so far, and he could be a guy that make the team and make an impact in year one.

Biggest Questions That Need To Be Answered: It all comes back to the QB. Who wins the job? How long does Fangio drag this battle out in camp? Can either Lock or Bridgewater take control of the job? The QB battle looms over everything for the Broncos in camp this year.