The Denver Broncos play the Washington Commanders in Week 13. Pat Surtain II should be back as well. That means Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph can remove resources from Surtain II’s side of the field, leaving him on an island. That said, the league’s official website weighed in on the matchup on Wednesday. Let’s see what the league’s opinion on the Broncos is this week.
Broncos vs. Commanders
NFL.com’s Ali Bhanpuri provided commentary on the Broncos-Commanders matchup, writing, “This one has all the hallmarks of a trap game.”
Bhanpuri continued, “Division leader with its sights on the No. 1 seed, riding an eight-game run, fresh off the bye, brimming with confidence after beating its ultimate rival vs. a 3-8 squad that’s starting its QB2 and hasn’t won since the first week of October. The Broncos have absolutely no business losing this game. And yet … the warning bells are sounding!”
While being fictitious, Bhanpuri added that the Broncos have the edge on both sides of the ball. In fact, the Broncos are No. 14 in PFSN’s Offense Impact Score, while the Commanders are No. 30 in PFSN’s Defense Impact Score. On the other side of the coin, the Broncos are No. 1 in PFSN’s Defense Impact Score, while the Commanders are No. 11 in PFSN’s Offense Impact Score.
In a passing league, pick offense over defense. But the Commanders’ offense is likely to be without Jayden Daniels. It’s an unfortunate development for Commanders fans that he likely won’t be medically cleared.
That said, Bhanpuri pointed out that the Broncos don’t win by large margins, writing, “Five of the Broncos’ six most-recent wins have been by three points or fewer, including three against two-win teams (Raiders, 10-7; Giants, 33-32; Jets, 13-11).”
Trap game may not be the phrase; the Broncos’ matchup with the Commanders is a competitive game. But Bo Nix should be able to keep establishing the pass on the road. Washington is allowing the second-most yards per game, the fourth-most passing yards per game, and the sixth-most rushing yards per game. Nix won’t need to do much, but he can’t play with his food. We have the Broncos winning in Week 13 30-19.