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Overview
RB Quentin Griffin looked good in his debut as Denver's primary back, but this week he faces a much stouter Jacksonville run defense and the Broncos' receivers will have to step up. The Jaguars' receivers will also need to rise to the challenge. Jacksonville can expect to see veteran SS John Lynch lined up near the line of scrimmage early and often, as the Broncos will want to force the Jaguars to rely on QB Byron Leftwich and their passing game.
With both defenses expected to have success stopping the run, whichever quarterback -- Leftwich or Denver's Jake Plummer -- limits his mistakes and executes his respective coach's game plan most efficiently will likely get the victory.
When the Broncos have the ball
Rushing:
Griffin rushed for two touchdowns last week and neither one started inside the red zone. In addition, Plummer's two touchdown passes came from one and two yards out. Unlike most teams, the Broncos could throw more than they run near the goal line, as they don't have a true goal-line back with Mike Anderson out for the year with a groin injury.
Jacksonville defensive coordinator Mike Smith can take advantage by frequently dropping seven men into coverage and playing zone inside the 20-yard-line. Staying conservative and crowding the short-to-intermediate routes puts more pressure on Denver to either pound the ball between the tackles or have Plummer throw into tight spaces.
If the Broncos run inside, DTs Marcus Stroud and John Henderson have the size to force the back outside where a squatting corner or rangy MLB Mike Peterson should be ready to make the play. Jacksonville should also be in position to defend any bootlegs because the corners will be defending an area rather than rolling across the field. They should be able to funnel Plummer back inside where there's help.
With the talent the Jaguars have on the inside, the Broncos should attack the perimeter early and often. Jacksonville did well to prevent Buffalo's talented backs from breaking any long runs last week but the Jags face a different challenge this week. Denver's offensive line excels at getting downfield and using the cut block to knock defenders to the ground. The Jaguar linebackers must protect their legs and shed the block quickly to prevent Griffin from turning the corner.
Passing: Denver did an excellent job of getting Plummer outside of the pocket off of play-action and allowing him to either throw or run depending on how the defense reacted last week. One of the ways to prevent Plummer from consistently rolling out is to have the defensive ends attack upfield. However, this creates lanes for Griffith when the Broncos do run and he did a great job of cutting inside when he saw Kansas City's defensive ends getting to far upfield last week.
As a result, Jacksonville should use a linebacker to "spy" or shadow Plummer at times. With a linebacker mirroring Plummer's every move, the Jaguars should have some success forcing him to throw from inside the pocket, where he is far less effective. In addition, the defensive line can be aggressive in closing down lanes because it won't have to worry about Plummer getting outside contain if he holds onto the ball rather than handing it off.
Don't be surprised to see DC Champ Bailey continue to get some snaps on offense. Getting Bailey in at receiver gives the Broncos another vertical target when they spread the field, and the Jaguars don't have the depth or speed at corner to match up. Bailey is also an excellent decoy and he will draw attention away from the rest of the receiving cops whenever he is in the game.
When the Jaguars have the ball
Rushing:
RB Fred Taylor should get at least 20 carries in this game. Staying committed to Taylor and the ground game will take some pressure off Leftwich, who will be working against a Denver secondary that gave Kansas City all kinds of problems last week. Taylor is best known for his burst and his ability to bounce outside after starting inside, but he also runs with deceptive power and can be very productive between the tackles. With that in mind, Jacksonville should look to run right at the heart of the Denver run defense.
MLB Al Wilson plays with a mean streak and has excellent range, but he will be working against one of the best centers in the league in Brad Meester. Meester excels at helping his guards out with a punch before heading up to the second level and he has the quick feet to get into position working against Wilson. Even when Wilson is able to shed Meester, it will take some time and he'll be making the tackle three-to-four yards downfield rather than at the line of scrimmage.
It doesn't help the Broncos that DT Luther Elliss missed last week's game with a partially torn pectoral muscle and it's unknown if he'll be able to play in this game or how effective he'll be if he does play. If he's unavailable or less than 100 percent, Denver won't have great depth inside and Taylor should be able to wear the interior front down over the course of the game.
Passing: Much is being made about Leftwich's play during the Jaguars' game-winning drive against Buffalo last week and it should give him more confidence in close games. However, Leftwich, who threw two interceptions compared to one touchdown and completed just half of his passes last week, struggled most of the game. He will need to be far more efficient this week and he must know where Bailey is lined up at all times as a result.
Bailey shows excellent burst to the ball and will try to bait Leftwich into throwing at him by allowing the receiver to gain some separation before closing quickly. Jacksonville doesn't have a receiver capable of consistently beating Bailey in single coverage, and Bailey will make Leftwich pay if he tries to test him.
The Jaguars need to get WR Reggie Williams involved early. Williams' size and body control make him a better target in the vertical passing game than Jimmy Smith, but he caught just two passes for nine yards last week. Until Williams starts to make some plays downfield, the Broncos will stack the line of scrimmage with eight-man fronts. They'll also be able to cover Smith with Bailey, effectively leaving Leftwich without his best short-to-intermediate receiver.
Jacksonville's receivers showed that they will fight for the ball while it's in the air last week and they must continue to bail Leftwich out when he throws the ball up for grabs. Now Leftwich must return the favor and make sure not to lead his receivers too far when throwing over the middle. Both Wilson and Lynch are powerful hitters who pride themselves on punishing receivers.
Scouts' Edge
The Broncos and the Jaguars share both an abundance of talent and inconsistency at their respective quarterback positions. While Leftwich is the more talented of the two, expect Plummer's experience and stronger supporting cast to be the difference in this game.
Denver won't have nearly as much success running the ball this week, but the ground attack will be efficient enough to keep Jacksonville honest and set up the play-action package. Plummer will then make enough big plays with his feet as well as his arm to give the Broncos a lead late in the game.
Taylor and the Jaguars' offensive line will have success working against a Denver front seven that has had some problems stopping the run. However, the Broncos will force Leftwich to make plays by lining their safeties up in the box and tightening up in the red zone. Leftwich showed he can lead his team to the come-from-behind victory, but it's unlikely he does it two weeks in a row.
RB Quentin Griffin looked good in his debut as Denver's primary back, but this week he faces a much stouter Jacksonville run defense and the Broncos' receivers will have to step up. The Jaguars' receivers will also need to rise to the challenge. Jacksonville can expect to see veteran SS John Lynch lined up near the line of scrimmage early and often, as the Broncos will want to force the Jaguars to rely on QB Byron Leftwich and their passing game.
With both defenses expected to have success stopping the run, whichever quarterback -- Leftwich or Denver's Jake Plummer -- limits his mistakes and executes his respective coach's game plan most efficiently will likely get the victory.
When the Broncos have the ball
Rushing:
Griffin rushed for two touchdowns last week and neither one started inside the red zone. In addition, Plummer's two touchdown passes came from one and two yards out. Unlike most teams, the Broncos could throw more than they run near the goal line, as they don't have a true goal-line back with Mike Anderson out for the year with a groin injury.
Jacksonville defensive coordinator Mike Smith can take advantage by frequently dropping seven men into coverage and playing zone inside the 20-yard-line. Staying conservative and crowding the short-to-intermediate routes puts more pressure on Denver to either pound the ball between the tackles or have Plummer throw into tight spaces.
If the Broncos run inside, DTs Marcus Stroud and John Henderson have the size to force the back outside where a squatting corner or rangy MLB Mike Peterson should be ready to make the play. Jacksonville should also be in position to defend any bootlegs because the corners will be defending an area rather than rolling across the field. They should be able to funnel Plummer back inside where there's help.
With the talent the Jaguars have on the inside, the Broncos should attack the perimeter early and often. Jacksonville did well to prevent Buffalo's talented backs from breaking any long runs last week but the Jags face a different challenge this week. Denver's offensive line excels at getting downfield and using the cut block to knock defenders to the ground. The Jaguar linebackers must protect their legs and shed the block quickly to prevent Griffin from turning the corner.
Passing: Denver did an excellent job of getting Plummer outside of the pocket off of play-action and allowing him to either throw or run depending on how the defense reacted last week. One of the ways to prevent Plummer from consistently rolling out is to have the defensive ends attack upfield. However, this creates lanes for Griffith when the Broncos do run and he did a great job of cutting inside when he saw Kansas City's defensive ends getting to far upfield last week.
As a result, Jacksonville should use a linebacker to "spy" or shadow Plummer at times. With a linebacker mirroring Plummer's every move, the Jaguars should have some success forcing him to throw from inside the pocket, where he is far less effective. In addition, the defensive line can be aggressive in closing down lanes because it won't have to worry about Plummer getting outside contain if he holds onto the ball rather than handing it off.
Don't be surprised to see DC Champ Bailey continue to get some snaps on offense. Getting Bailey in at receiver gives the Broncos another vertical target when they spread the field, and the Jaguars don't have the depth or speed at corner to match up. Bailey is also an excellent decoy and he will draw attention away from the rest of the receiving cops whenever he is in the game.
When the Jaguars have the ball
Rushing:
RB Fred Taylor should get at least 20 carries in this game. Staying committed to Taylor and the ground game will take some pressure off Leftwich, who will be working against a Denver secondary that gave Kansas City all kinds of problems last week. Taylor is best known for his burst and his ability to bounce outside after starting inside, but he also runs with deceptive power and can be very productive between the tackles. With that in mind, Jacksonville should look to run right at the heart of the Denver run defense.
MLB Al Wilson plays with a mean streak and has excellent range, but he will be working against one of the best centers in the league in Brad Meester. Meester excels at helping his guards out with a punch before heading up to the second level and he has the quick feet to get into position working against Wilson. Even when Wilson is able to shed Meester, it will take some time and he'll be making the tackle three-to-four yards downfield rather than at the line of scrimmage.
It doesn't help the Broncos that DT Luther Elliss missed last week's game with a partially torn pectoral muscle and it's unknown if he'll be able to play in this game or how effective he'll be if he does play. If he's unavailable or less than 100 percent, Denver won't have great depth inside and Taylor should be able to wear the interior front down over the course of the game.
Passing: Much is being made about Leftwich's play during the Jaguars' game-winning drive against Buffalo last week and it should give him more confidence in close games. However, Leftwich, who threw two interceptions compared to one touchdown and completed just half of his passes last week, struggled most of the game. He will need to be far more efficient this week and he must know where Bailey is lined up at all times as a result.
Bailey shows excellent burst to the ball and will try to bait Leftwich into throwing at him by allowing the receiver to gain some separation before closing quickly. Jacksonville doesn't have a receiver capable of consistently beating Bailey in single coverage, and Bailey will make Leftwich pay if he tries to test him.
The Jaguars need to get WR Reggie Williams involved early. Williams' size and body control make him a better target in the vertical passing game than Jimmy Smith, but he caught just two passes for nine yards last week. Until Williams starts to make some plays downfield, the Broncos will stack the line of scrimmage with eight-man fronts. They'll also be able to cover Smith with Bailey, effectively leaving Leftwich without his best short-to-intermediate receiver.
Jacksonville's receivers showed that they will fight for the ball while it's in the air last week and they must continue to bail Leftwich out when he throws the ball up for grabs. Now Leftwich must return the favor and make sure not to lead his receivers too far when throwing over the middle. Both Wilson and Lynch are powerful hitters who pride themselves on punishing receivers.
Scouts' Edge
The Broncos and the Jaguars share both an abundance of talent and inconsistency at their respective quarterback positions. While Leftwich is the more talented of the two, expect Plummer's experience and stronger supporting cast to be the difference in this game.
Denver won't have nearly as much success running the ball this week, but the ground attack will be efficient enough to keep Jacksonville honest and set up the play-action package. Plummer will then make enough big plays with his feet as well as his arm to give the Broncos a lead late in the game.
Taylor and the Jaguars' offensive line will have success working against a Denver front seven that has had some problems stopping the run. However, the Broncos will force Leftwich to make plays by lining their safeties up in the box and tightening up in the red zone. Leftwich showed he can lead his team to the come-from-behind victory, but it's unlikely he does it two weeks in a row.