The Denver Broncos head into their Week 3 matchup with the Green Bay Packers at 0-2. Meanwhile, the Packers are 2-0.
However, things could be very different if a few things went Denver's way. Mainly, I'm talking about that controversial roughing the passer call that aided the Chicago Bears in beating the Broncos in Week 2.
But the reality is that Denver is 0-2 and heading into Lambeau Field as underdogs.
How exactly can they pull out a win though? Here are four reasons the Broncos will beat the Packers in their Week 3 matchup.
To be clear, this is what would be the reason for winning if they do win. This isn't simply predicting a Broncos win.
1. Von Miller
Von Miller has been quiet this year. That's going to end very soon. He is far too talented to have zero sacks (seven tackles) through two games.
Miller is one of the elite pass rushers in the NFL. He has 98 career sacks and has five straight years with double-digit sack totals. In fact, the only year of his eight-year NFL career was 2013, when he recorded five sacks in nine games.
Miller not having any sacks through two games simply means he's due for a big breakout. That could definitely come against the Packers, who have given up seven sacks through two games.
A total game-changer, Miller pushes the Broncos defense from “very good” to “elite”. That's something the Packers might not be able to handle. Especially considering quarterback Aaron Rodger's lack of weapons and not much of a run game.
A Miller breakout performance could easily translate to a Broncos upset.
2. Chris Harris and Co. Locking Down Receivers
As just mentioned Packers don't exactly have a lot of weapons. It's basically Davante Adams and some other guys. Marquez Valdes-Scantling shows promise and Geronimo Allison could be solid in the slot. However, neither are threatening defenses too much at the moment.
Meanwhile, Jimmy Graham has been solid but got hurt last week so how he plays in Week 3 is a major question mark.
Adams is a star but is also dealing with some injuries. Oh, and the Broncos have Chris Harris. Harris is one of the best cornerbacks in the league and should be able to successfully contain Adams.
The rest of the secondary isn't made up of superstars. However, it does have a lot of nice pieces. With Adams out of the way, the Packers don't have any major threats. Denver's defense should have no problem locking down the rest of the Green Bay weapons.
Harris will do the heavy lifting, but everyone will play a nice role. Rodgers shouldn't have too much fun this game.
3. Phillip Lindsay Gets Back on Track
Phillip Lindsay hasn't been great through two games. In fact, he's already gaining back some doubters that he proved wrong last year.
However, you have to look at the competition. Lindsay played decently against the Oakland Raiders in Week 1 (3.9 yards per carry). The Raiders have given up the fifth-fewest amount of rushing yards in the NFL thus far.
Meanwhile, he didn't play very well against the Chicago Bears (2.8 yards per carry). They're seventh against the run and the best defense in football according to many.
Can you really blame Lindsay for not looking like a superstar against them?
Now, to be fair. The Packers defense is actually very solid. They've given up just 244 rushing yards so far. That's almost as many as the Raiders and Bears combined (263).
Lindsay, as well as Royce Freeman, should get the ball a decent amount in Week 3. They might not put up monster numbers, but they'll both be productive. Productive enough to make the running game a serious threat against Green Bay.
Lindsay could finally find the end zone this year, and that could help the Broncos pick up the win.
4. Emmanuel Sanders' Emergence
There was a time not too long ago when Emmanuel Sanders was considered a top-level NFL receiver. That hype died down considerably after a poor 2017.
However, Sanders quietly put together a really strong 2018. He had 71 receptions for 868 yards and four touchdowns in 12 games last year. And he did that on a Broncos team that didn't have much going for them at quarterback.
Now he's got a veteran in Joe Flacco at the position. Sanders is clearly enjoying that too. He's already got 16 receptions for 184 yards and two touchdowns in two games.
Sanders gives the Broncos a legitimate number one receiver and someone teams need to game plan for every week.
Yes, Jaire Alexander has looked awesome for the Packers so far. Is he going to shadow Sanders though? If not, it's safe to say Green Bay doesn't have anyone else with a chance to shut him down.
Even if he does, the Packers are now using their best corner to shadow Sanders. That leaves Courtland Sutton (11 receptions for 140 yards) to go up against the rest.
Something that might surprise people is that the Broncos actually have a lot of weapons in 2019. That all starts with Sanders, and he could be a key to winning this game for Denver.
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